Of Flames and Leaves
by midnightmnkm
Summary: "Of This and That", part 1. / After miraculously obtaining several cartridges for free, a girl is sent to the world of Pokémon as the protagonist Ignis. Suddenly, she's sent on a journey with 'her' childhood friend Terra and a swords-wielding girl Hana to fill the Pokédex... and stop an evil syndicate too, which is probably more important. / Ch30 update. / Ch09 rewritten.
1. A Fine Day to Play a Pokémon Game

**Rewritten: 28/08/2019.**

A girl receives several Pokémon cartridges for free. Naturally, she gets more than she expects.

(Previous title: Classic Memories and White Titans)

* * *

"That's all... that I... could find."

The sound of fingers pressing various keys in annoyance echoed throughout the small room. Stretching on for around five to six seconds, the onslaught of button pressing was brought to an end with one loud pressing of an 'Enter' button. Behind the slim fingers, a raven-haired teen sighed with relief and sat back for a while, before a notification sound played from her laptop.

She growled and leaned back towards the screen to read the new message.

"Need more answers... oh, for fuck's sake," she then hissed and resumed her conversation with her acquaintance- if it could be called a conversation at all. "Do... the rest... yourself."

Another loud slam on the 'Enter' button.

Fed up, she quickly navigated her mouse to the system button, clicked it to reveal a 'log off' button, then clicked that.

The girl sat back in her chair again, letting out another sigh. "Good riddance. If you want help, I'll help, but I'm not going to do the whole work for you, ya fucking moron..." she murmured.

Now that she had contributed to her friend's work, she figured there weren't any grounds for complaints as she pretty much did help and can't be called a selfish jerk for not offering help, or anything of that sort. In the first place, given work should be done by the one assigned to it anyways.

She shook her head and smiled. _It's time for... for..._

"...huh."

For what? There wasn't anything for her to do right now. Music? She had been listening to the same song on repeat for hours. Games? She had just exited a game earlier, prior to helping her friend with their homework. Art? She already gave up after being dissatisfied with the way her digital art piece turned out.

Sighing, she looked up at the ceiling. Wasn't there anything this bode girl could spend her time on?

"...ugh..."

That settled it. She got up and searched through her closet, and pulled out a light red jacket. Although it was summer, she loved the sensation of her favorite jacket's fabric against her skin. That, and hoodies are awesome. She chuckled to herself and looked towards the door. With nothing better to do, there shouldn't be any problem with her taking a walk.

What could possibly go wrong?

...

Who was it who made the phrase 'what could possibly go wrong?'

And more importantly, who was it who started the belief that it was a jinxing term that, once uttered, will tempt karma to mess up the speaker's life right away?

Why was she even wondering about this? Well, it was because at this very moment, she was staring straight at an old woman, hooded, sitting in front of a small game shop she often frequented. The old woman had called out to her before she could enter the shop, and took out a box. What was the box filled with?

Games. Not just _any_ games- but they were cartridges of Pokémon games of each region, starting from the third generation's Red, Blue, and Green remakes, FireRed and LeafGreen.

That told her that, despite having uttered such a cursed phrase within her head, the deities above must favor her or something.

What sort of luck must anyone have, to find a woman selling Pokémon games of all regions?

...well, actually, it wasn't all regions. It was only up to the remake of the third generation's main region, Hoenn. Notably, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

That was quite understandable, she supposed, as at the current time of this lucky meeting, Pokémon Sun and Moon had just recently been released. It wasn't really likely that some random old lady would have the latest games. And now that she thought about it, if this old lady did have the game, there was no way she would've already finished the games and be willing to sell it.

Okay, so that asides, her options. To buy this box of childhood memories _and_ new memories, or to abandon it.

Her mind filled itself with pain as she tried to decide.

"Ugh... to buy or not to buy... such is the words of Shakespeare..." she muttered, completely abandoning all common sense and knowledge she ever learnt from school.

Then... "Oh, these are free," the old woman said with a chuckle.

She froze. Then she blinked once, twice, or maybe even thrice.

"...huhuhwhat?" the girl said quietly.

"You heard me," the old woman said. "You can have this box for free."

She blinked again. "You're... you're kidding me."

"Nope," was the reply she got, coupled with an amused old-person laugh.

The girl then looked around. "Nnnnno way. This can't be real. Where's the camera?"

Another chuckle. "It's not a prank. I'd like you to take this off my hands, for free."

Her expression of disbelief slowly morphed into a smile.

There was only one correct answer to give here.

"...ffffffucking sold!"

...

Minutes later, she was back at home, in the safe confinement of her room. A happy grin glued itself tight on her lips as she excitedly opened the box she received for free. The girl examined her new Pokémon games with glee- this was officially the best day of her life.

Even better, the old woman had thrown in some necessary consoles for the games too- all for free! So now she had a new Nintendo DS (for both the GameBoy and DS era games) and a new Nintendo 3DS... not to be confused with the confusingly named New Nintendo 3DS, of course, but that wasn't really important.

Now, a trivial dilemma invaded her thoughts. _In what order should I play these games...?_ she wondered.

On one hand, she'd love to play the latest installments right now, the remakes of Hoenn. She still thought it was a shame she couldn't get Pokémon Sun and Moon, but at least she could now play the remakes she never got a chance to buy.

On the other hand, the girl felt it'd be extremely satisfying to relive her childhood again through the third generation remakes FireRed and LeafGreen, and gradually climb her way through the regions and generations. After all, she had all the time to play the games since she was currently spending her eternal summer vacation as a NEET. College starts for her in a bit less than a year, but really, who cares about that?

"...right. FireRed/LeafGreen it is!" the girl eventually decided and, for her own dramatic needs, raised a fist as if to signify some sort of victory. The girl then grabbed her new Nintendo DS console, which was an odd shade of red (or orange?), then plopped in the FireRed cartridge into its GameBoy slot. She quickly turned on the power and watched the screen light up, feeling nostalgic. "Man, I miss my old DS."

Everything she was seeing filled her with happy memories of the past. The Game Freak splash screen, the exciting introduction battle between the Nidorino and Gengar, the title theme with the theme song and the Charizard... she missed them all.

 _I wonder if, in another world, my team back then is doing well..._ she wondered, chuckling slightly. How silly- there's no such thing as other worlds, after all.

The girl smiled and skimmed through the controls. Then, the long introduction text came.

 _'In the world which you are about to enter, you will embark on a grand adventure with you as the hero._

 _Speak to people and check things wherever you go, be it towns, roads, or caves. Gather information and hints from every source._

 _New paths will open to you by helping people in need, overcoming challenges, and solving mysteries._

 _At times, you will be challenged by others and attacked by wild creatures. Be brave and keep pushing on._

 _Through your adventure, we hope that you will interact with all sorts of people and achieve personal growth. That is our biggest objective._

 _Press the A Button, and let your adventure begin!'_

She pressed the 'A' button.

 _' '_

All she received was a blank text box screen. "...huh." The girl examined her DS from all angles. _Is this thing broken?_ The girl then blinked. "Wait... a box of games and two consoles for free..."

Text started appearing again.

 _'Wait a bit longer. Preparations are being made.'_

"...that wasn't in the original game," she whispered. _Oh no. I should've realized there was something fishy._ She sighed with annoyance as she put the console down, realization coming to her. This... was definitely a hacked game. Even worse, a hacked, buggy game. This wasn't the kind of childhood memory relieving she wanted... this was... why, this was an insult! ...or at least, she supposed it could possibly be an insult in some form, she just couldn't quite grasp the exact details yet.

But as long as she lived, this shall be an insult to her!

 _...right, cut down the mental drama, we have issues to attend to,_ the girl thought to herself and looked back at the screen. "A fake or hacked game. Great." She blinked. "...might as well as see how well they made this."

After a few more seconds, text appeared again.

 _'Preparations are done. Brace yourself.'_

"...drama queens," she muttered. However, this went unnoticed by her for a short while, but the room began to darken. Eventually, when she noticed how her 'new' console's screen was glowing, the girl looked around her room. "...that's odd. I don't remember the room being this dark..." Then, she noticed that her lights were on. "...is the light bulb slowly burning out...?"

To her confusion, the darkness was growing.

And maybe she was extremely tired, but it almost looked like ominous amethyst swirls were under her feet.

The girl, remaining quiet, slowly narrowed her eyes at the ground.

She wasn't mistaken- a giant, odd, dark purple swirl was forming and growing under her feet. One would have almost thought it was a portal, if not for the fact that that was something a delusional idiot would think in this sort of situation. She simply summed it up as her being tired.

Suddenly, more text.

An eerie, mysterious sound played from somewhere unknown as she looked back down to the screen.

 _'Don't mind the room. This isn't fake.'_

The girl blinked. "...wait, did the DS just-"

Suddenly, in less than a second, the smug looking face of a familiar Ghost-type Pokémon appeared on the screen and stretched _outside_ the console, its mouth widening. Her brain hadn't even comprehended anything that was happening yet when her vision suddenly turned dark, coupled with the sound of strong teeth clamming shut.

And for a short while, an intense burning sensation enveloped her body.

* * *

White.

Everything was white.

All around her, it was a never ending spread of emptiness, with nothing for her eyes to set on. When she woke up, she turned left, she turned right, she looked up and she looked down, but she couldn't escape what she supposed was the emptiness of heaven. The fresh pain that tingled across her body, although it lasted less than a second, was still vividly remembered in her memories.

If she hadn't died, there just wasn't any other explanation for what the hell could've happened to her.

That DS she bought... it wasn't only a fake, it was an outright weapon, she figured.

"Well, fuck. Conned by an old lady. This is just humiliating," she remarked to herself.

After a moment of silence, the girl rubbed her chin. What's there for a dead lonely girl to do in heaven asides from thinking about recent events?

...on a side note, it seems she could move around, and her body still exists.

...now that she thought about it... the girl looked down at her body once more.

No clothing.

Face flushed red, she quickly covered herself and looked around.

No life in sight.

She sighed with relief. "Safely nude in heaven."

Suddenly she felt several presences around her.

 _"Oh, look! A new arrival! Heeey!"_

 _"Careful. We don't want to scare her off now."_

 _"Oh, then my muscles should be enough to get her attention!"_

 _"Don't. You'll just sicken all of us."_

 _"M-maybe she's hungry."_

 _"She probably craves_ ANSWERS! _Ahaaahahahahaha! Funny me!"_

 _"..."_

Suddenly, seven silhouettes faded into her sights, surrounding her in a circle. They weren't just normal silhouettes either, but gigantic human-shaped white... 'shadows'... seemingly standing or floating together, as if in a conference.

"What the fuck!?" the girl accidentally screamed upon them appearing out of nowhere.

One of the pure white giants recoiled _"Whoa. This one's got a foul mouth,"_ it said. She noticed that although the giant was pure white, its face was marked with the roman numeral of **VII**.

Another one, marked with the number **IV** , tilted its head a bit. _"Oh, come on. She's just scared of us, give her a break. I mean, look at our sizes."_

 _"F-four's got a point there... and, and she probably lacks the energy to be calm, and maybe needs food..."_ another giant, labelled with the number **VI** , said.

Then, a giant with the number **II** scoffed. _"Nonsense! The only thing you need to stay calm is power! Raw, muscly, power!"_

 _"Uhh, that asides,"_ the one numbered **III** interrupted, _"but isn't this kinda strange? How is she here at all...?"_

 _"She must be a chosen one!"_ the one with the number **I** shouted. _"Maybe she's the hero! Hero of... well, something! But she's amazing for sure!"_

The girl slowly felt her fear evaporate. _These giants are..._ she sighed with relief. Having grasped the basics of each's (assumed) personality, they didn't seem to be carnivorous giants bent on eating people like that anime or manga series that she wasn't particularly a fan of. _What was it called? Attack of the Titans? Uh, something like that._ She shrugged her thoughts off and looked to the most quiet one, the giant numbered with the number **V**.

So far it hasn't made a comment on her yet, nor has it participated in its acquaintances'... conversation.

As if responding to her thoughts, it leaned forward a bit. _"Girl. You must be really confused right now."_

 _I-is it talking to me?_ the girl wondered. She then recalled she was the only human girl here, so of course he was talking to her! _Stupid me._ "Uh... yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

 _"Wait..."_ **IV** said. _"I'm sensing something off... like... she's not panicking..."_

"Not too surprising," the girl replied. "I mean, what's there to expect in heaven after you die?" she said, feeling particularly brave today.

It's not really that common for people to get used to giant titans as fast as she did, after all.

 **III** leaned forward slightly, a 'shadowy' white hand sprouting from its right... 'shoulder', to rub its chin. _"Hm. Would you look at that. Seems like she has her memories intact."_

 _"Hey, so how did it feel?"_ **I** asked. The girl raised an eyebrow. _"Oh, you know, dying the way you did. We've only been observing you since, like, some minutes or almost half an hour ago, but man. That Gengar jump scare must have gave you a super duper strong heart attack or... something."_

 _...Gengar?_ The girl frowned. _That's a... huh?_ "...wait, you were observing me?"

 _"Yeah! We've been observing you!"_ **I** continued. _"I don't remember much for some strange reason, but all of us have been observing you for quite some time. Seems like we only remember up to a short moment ago though."_

"...uh huh." Rubbing her chin, she tried to piece everything she knew together... which wasn't much, but it was enough to draw some conclusions. "So you lot... you're working for that scammer old hag, aren't you!?"

Silence.

Then the titans exchanged glances. _"Old hag?"_

 _"An old woman. An old human woman, I assume."_

 _"What's she going on about? I think she's gone crazy."_

 _"L-like I said... consumption of food required to think normally."_

"Hey, I can hear you!" the girl yelled. "Jeez, rude much... but okay, so I can sort of tell you seven aren't working for her. I'll let that go then."

 _"...well, actually,"_ **IV** said, _"it might be possible. I seem to feel familiar when you speak of an old human female... maybe we might be acquainted with her at some point in the past, but that's lost with our memories now."_

The girl frowned. "Lost memories...?"

Some other titans nodded. _"Yeah. Like One said, we only recall up to a few minutes ago when we noticed we were observing you."_

"...right." The girl sighed and sat down, then remembering she was naked, from the sensation of the white ground(?) pressing against her butt. "...d-don't look," she hissed.

The titans stared, and she assumed they were blinking with slight confusion.

 _"...oh. Don't worry, we're not interested in your body,"_ **II** said. _"It's not as impressive as my muscles anyways."_

 _What muscles...?_ the girl wondered. "Anyways, I'm lost. What am I doing here again?"

 _"...a prophecy,"_ **V** spoke up again.

The girl _and_ the other titans looked at **V** , puzzled. "A prophecy?"

 _"What prophecy?"_

 _"I never heard of any no prophecies."_

 **V** nodded. _"I recall... something about a prophecy,"_ it said. _"Very soon... danger will fall upon Kanto. Or something amongst those lines, at the very least."_

Kanto. That was... The girl slowly looked up. "...Kanto."

 _"Yes. Kanto. The region you live in. Amazing, isn't it?"_ **VII** chimed with sarcasm. Or was it sass? Maybe it was both. Nevertheless, that annoyed her, but she could let it go.

 _...actually, wait. Live in?_ The girl raised an eyebrow. "I'm not from Kanto," she said.

That got the titans' attention. _"...I'm sorry, what now?"_ **IV** asked. _"Are you... messing around with us?"_

"Mess around my ass, you guys are the one messing around!" the girl said. "Kanto's not even a real place!" Then she blinked. _Wait, no, Bulbapedia and-or Wikipedia said it's based off of some Kanto area in Japan... oh well._ "And that thing you said earlier," she said and looked at **I** , "Gengar jump scaring me? Gengar's not even real! It's a Pokémon!"

 _"...yeah, it's a Pokémon,"_ **VII** said. _"A real Pokémon. I'm not sure what you're saying."_

"Pokémon's not real!" the girl hissed. "It's fiction! Seriously, I know this for a fact. Some Japanese dude wanted to turn pet fights into a game or something, I dunno, and it became a popular game series. Pokémon! Hello? Game Freak? Nintendo?"

 _"...I really think we need to get something for her to eat,"_ **VI** said.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Have you guys been living under a rock!?" the girl exclaimed.

 _"...can we get rid of her? She's crazy,"_ **III** said.

 _"No, hold on,"_ **V** said and leaned forward. _"I'm hearing some... interesting things right now. Human girl. You say that Pokémon is a fictional concept?"_

"Y-yeah," she replied. "It's... it's fiction. It was made as a video game series."

 _"Then let's see how you react to this..."_ A ghostly hand appeared from **V** 's shoulder. It snapped its fingers, and suddenly, a small cloud of smoke erupted in front of the girl.

She shut her eyes in surprise, and when she opened again, a silhouette smaller than her appeared in the smoke. It was... it was...!

"A Rattata!?" the girl exclaimed. The purple furred mouse jumped in surprise and looked around, astonished.

 _"Seems quite real, isn't it?"_ **V** said. _"Here's another real Pokémon."_

Another snap, another cloud of smoke, and a new silhouette replaced the Rattata. This time it was a small, pink creature with an adorable face and a playful yet otherworldly vibe.

She smiled at this, getting caught up with identifying Pokémon. "That's a Clefairy."

 _"Hmm. So you know this one too. Then how about..."_

Yet again, a new Pokémon took the place of the Clefairy. This time, however, it was slightly taller than her, and from the looks of it, a quadrupedal creature. Covered in lots of fur, this canine Pokémon yelped in surprise as it was suddenly brought into the realm.

"A... Arcanine, I think," the girl said.

With a snap, the Pokémon disappeared. **V** looked down on her with interest- not that she could tell, though. _"That was quite fascinating. You'll have to agree with me that Pokémon are indeed real, but that last one is supposed to be a legendary Pokémon. You knowing of its species is quite interesting."_

The girl slowly nodded. "Right..." _Wait, Arcanine's not a legendary. ...well, maybe in the literal sense._ "So... okay, I see now that Pokémon seems to be real. I still stand by what I said though," she said. "Last I remember, Pokémon definitely _wasn't_ real..."

 _"Well, one of us has to be wrong then,"_ **IV** said. _"Doesn't seem like it's our side though."_

 _"Hey, maybe this isn't the same girl we've been observing, but a spirit from another world!"_ **I** suggested.

The others slowly turned to **I** , then mused over the possibility. _"Well, it's not impossible, perhaps,"_ **III** said.

"...yeah, that actually does make sense," the girl agreed. "My world, no Pokémon. Your, uh, world... Pokémon." She blinked. _Hey, wait... if this is the Pokémon world... is this..._ she slowly smiled. _Is this one of those overused 'travel to another world' story plot? Am I... am I going to the Pokémon world, of all things?_

 _Is this... is this the best isekai story ever!?_

On that note, maybe she should stop thinking about what was going on and prepare to enjoy her new adventure! Oh, how exciting! ...on the other hand, her using the term 'isekai' slightly bothered her, but honestly, there were more important things right now.

"So, how does this work?" the girl asked. "Am I going to be reincarnated? Or just revived and transferred to the world?"

 _"...you seem rather excited,"_ **III** said. _"Are we missing something here?"_

She scratched her head. "Well, I mean, I died, right? So if I'm appearing from _my_ world, into this _other_ world... that means I'm going to start over, right?"

The titans looked at each other, then backed at her. _"...I feel like you think we're, like, some sort of gods, so I'll tell you right now, we're not gods,"_ **VII** said. _"We can revive you, though, but there are... certain things we need to get out of the way."_

"Like... what?"

 _"Like the fact that you share a striking resemblance to the girl we were observing, and that for some reason, something tells us we need that girl alive,"_ **IV** replied. _"Since the girl we feel is important is dead, and you're coming to our world, I suppose it should be okay to revive you as her and have you live out as her... but..."_

The girl frowned. That sounded boring and complicated- she'd need to do things to fit back in as whoever the other girl was, like remembering who all her friends were, relearning whatever language they spoke there, remembering whatever notes the girl might have or... well, you get the idea. "Do I _have_ to?"

 _"Certainly,"_ **II** said. _"It seems like that girl is important to Five's prophecy, and as you are essentially like a clone of the girl, it is your duty to fulfill the prophecy in her place!"_ Then, **II** sprouted its own arm and flexed. _"It is also the right thing to do, in the name of raw, muscly power."_

 _Okay, that's getting sickeningly on my nerves,_ the girl thought. "Yeah, but this prophecy thing is kinda..." She paused.

Kanto? In danger? That sounded like...

Oh yeah, she was playing FireRed previously. Does that mean that she's in the game? And... is she going to become the hero of the game now? Then that would make sense, as the game's hero, Red, was basically a young boy set out to stop the crime syndicate Team Rocket from doing whatever evil world-threatening plan they had. Then again, Team Rocket was the sole exception to the villainous team formula, being moneymaking grubs rather than some world-ending lunatics.

But the newest games, Pokémon Sun and Moon, did mention a new team called Team Skull. Not that she was too familiar with that, but whatever.

Going through her mind, she realized that maybe it wouldn't be so bad to replace this girl who was supposedly the Red of her game knowledge. Or, uh, Leaf, since that's the female avatar equivalent, she supposed.

The girl looked up again. "...okay, I think that's fine with me," she said.

Who the hell would pass up the opportunity to go to the Pokémon world _and_ become the hero? Not her!

The titans nodded to each other. _"Very well, then. We're just as confused as you are about the situation, but we shall do our best to work with you."_

All the titans formed hands and took each other's, and a magic circle appeared under the girl.

 **V** looked down to her once more. _"We shall revive you in your counterpart's body, then. You will wake up in your room, with your new body, clothes, and knowledge. I pray you shall do well to fulfill the prophecy, and save Kanto."_

"Uh, sure. Yeah, I'll make sure to do that," the girl said. Her body began to feel light, and as she looked down, she began fading from the feet.

Just as the fade reached her waist, she thought of something to ask.

"What was the girl's name?" she asked.

 **V** stared.

 _"Ignis."_

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:** None.

 **Notes:**

|| _I've reverted the amount of cartridges back to originally planned- up to ORAS._ Previous attempts of rewrites increased it to stick to the times, but now I have plans that requires missing out the newer games. _The protagonist, Ignis, will still retain slight knowledge of the S/M games, however._

|| _The way the protagonist gets transported has been changed for the sake of current plans._ Besides, beating the console in frustration is just something stupid I used to do (lightly), and I doubt people actually do that (except for those with anger issues, but that's really not how I want to write Ignis to be.)

|| _The titans start with personalities now._ Previously they started out being random because lack of plans. _If you can identify their personalities, you might be able to figure out who some of them are._


	2. A Whole New World We Live In

**Rewritten: 28/08/2019.**

Revived into the Pokémon world, Ignis begins her journey with 'her' friend Terra, confused.

(Previous title: A New Journey Or Something)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:** None.

* * *

The first thing she did upon regaining consciousness was to look herself in the mirror.

She took some time to move her body around, to get used to her human body despite having already been human in the first place. The girl also took the time to properly examine her new appearance. True to the mysterious giants' words, the girl she now possessed was identical to her appearance back in her world- long black hair, spiked bangs up front, red prideful eyes.

Except for the raven colored hair, her current appearance was way too different from what she remembered as Red from the comic series Pokémon Adventures. Then again, she's a girl, and Red was definitely a boy. In contrary, however, she also didn't fit the appearance of the game's female avatar or comic's female counterpart Leaf, or Green... or Blue.

Nevertheless of this oddity, the girl quite liked her 'new' (barely changed) appearance.

Eventually, she noticed a wallet sitting on 'her' table in the corner of the room, in front of 'her' PC. She went to pick up the wallet first, looking through it.

 _...Ignis, huh._ Funnily, through some sheer coincidence, that was the name she had intended on giving her player character, before the whole 'transfer to another world' happened. _What the heck happened anyways?_ the girl wondered.

Her memories were a bit fuzzy, but she remembered her Nintendo DS doing something weird. Then... her room darkened? The screen... spoke to her... and...

...she blinked. Something jumped out of her Nintendo DS. That much, she was sure of. What was it though? If only she could remember...

"Ignis!" a voice called from downstairs. "Are you still sleeping?"

The girl dropped her wallet in surprise, jumping slightly. She almost forgot that right now, she was in a new world, with new people, replacing a girl's life. Quickly calming herself, she rushed to the stair railings. "I-I'm awake!" she yelled back.

She heard a chuckle. "Good. I don't have to wake you up then, I suppose." Footsteps faded, and she sighed with relief.

There wasn't actually any problem with the voice coming up to check on her, but she felt she needed just a bit more time to get used to her new reality.

The girl went back to her table and examined her wallet again.

 _Ignis Coronoid._

"Coronoid... weird family name," the girl muttered. _I didn't even know I'd have a new family name now._ She pocketed the wallet that was now technically hers, and examined the PC. It seemed to still be turned on, so she simply moved the mouse to reactivate the screen. The desktop that her otherworld equal had was quite a clean one, with folders dedicated to photos, or written stories (an interesting folder that she considered snooping around later), or digital diary entries.

Intending to quickly skim through each folder, she then noticed a folder placed at the bottom right corner of the desktop.

It was labeled _'ONETIME'_.

The girl tilted her head, curious, and opened the folder. It was empty.

"...hm." This was bothering her slightly, no, this was _killing_ her. The heck kind of person was this Ignis girl that she now became? Before she could go back to searching for more clues on how she should behave, the voice from downstairs called again.

"Ignis! Hurry up!"

Once again, she jumped in surprise. "S-sorry!" she replied, and quickly decided to shut down the computer, to prevent the electricity bill of her counterpart's house from rising. It'd be a huge dick move to just leave it on, after all, for the sake of who she assumed was her new mother downstairs. Then again, were there electricity bills in Pokémon games? Surely there had to be.

Pallet Town was quite the small town though...

She shook her head, once again distracted by thoughts she now deemed as stupid. The girl quickly opened the nearby closet and looked inside.

A familiar jacket was hung inside, but rather than red, it was dark green. She frowned- green wasn't exactly her favorite color, but... she supposed it's the fabric that decides it. The girl grabbed it and put it on, then grabbed a cap from within and put it on. She smiled and checked herself in the mirror once more.

"...mmhm. Lookin' good, if I say so myself," she whispered.

Mentally preparing herself to meet her new mother, she breathed in and breathed out.

 _Today, I'm a new person. Today, I'm a new name._

She opened her eyes.

 _From today on, I'm Ignis._

The girl descended to the first floor.

...

After catching up on today's plans with 'her'... _new_ mother, she swiftly finished her given breakfast and left for her supposed destination- Professor Oak's lab.

Apparently today was the birthday of Ignis and her childhood friend, named Terra, and to celebrate both their birthdays and a recently successful research they contributed to, Professor Oak had wanted to give the two a present. And although she had no idea what this was about, most notably due to how different this was from the actual game's introduction, the new Ignis could notice right away that her new 'mother' seemed slightly... sad, at the same time happy for 'her'.

That subject wasn't touched anymore upon, however, so she supposed she'll figure it out later.

When the girl exited her house, she felt a bit disappointed at how small Pallet Town was. It was almost like a carbon copy of the game's map, where the town was simply the shape of a huge square and had only two or three buildings within, but this time there were notably more houses. A whopping total of four houses, not including the lab, bringing the number of buildings in the town up to five.

It was an insignificant detail, but considering how small Pallet Town was supposed to be, and how little she expected from seeing a real life Pallet Town, she was again slightly surprised.

A quick greeting from who she assumed were her neighbors quickly made her forget about that, however.

Like her 'mother' did, they congratulated her on her birthday and for her 'research contributions', which puzzled her even more. What the heck could a ten year old girl do to contribute to research? The new Ignis wanted to stop everything and start thinking deeply about it, but ultimately decided to save it for later, again.

After all, with the current body she had, there was no way she could be a simple ten years old girl, but then again, life had its wonders.

It took more than a few seconds to walk over to the professor's lab, as expected, but the walk definitely lasted less than five minutes. She stopped in front of the entrance and examined the building, from bottom to top, in awe.

"...this is way too huge to be the professor's lab," she said, even though she had already accepted that this was probably it.

Game convenience was something she never really touched upon in her mind, but the size of certain buildings being the same as her player's house was something she always thought was amusing. Now, she was looking at what seemed like an actual, legitimate research facility- in _Pallet Town_ of all places.

The girl nervously made her way inside, mentally bracing herself for more mind-blowing differences to find.

Once inside, the very first thing she noted was that true to the nature of research labs, the place was dark. There were light sources everywhere, of course, but the more notable source was from glowing capsules or pods or... whatever people call those things that people in science fiction stories were put inside, submerged in water, hooked up with weird machinery.

The next thing she noticed was that, in contrast to the lonely lab from the game, there were a shit ton of scientists in the building. As in... a _shit ton_ number of scientists, surpassing her high school twelfth grade homeroom's number of students, probably.

Lastly was something she barely noticed until it was too late- a teen woman had noticed her from afar and walked over to her. By the time she realized the girl was after her, she had already had her arm grabbed by this brown haired woman.

"Iggy! You're here!" the woman chimed. She had purple framed spectacles on her face, covering her fragile green eyes, and a small fire-shaped hairpin. The woman's hair wasn't exactly long, but it was certainly neater than the new Ignis', and she also sprouted a ponytail from the back of her head.

The new Ignis blinked. _Oh. Uh. Acquaintance. Hm._ "Y-yeah, I'm here! I'm here... yep."

Her 'new' acquaintance seemed to brush over that obviously odd line and dragged her deeper into the lab. Everyone else noticed the two and smiled, cheering for them, drowning Ignis in praises and- of course- confusion. Eventually, they stopped in front of one large 'capsule' (or was it 'preservation chamber', maybe? It was something, at least). "Look at this! Look at the thing inside."

Ignis gulped and looked inside. At first, it didn't seem like there was anything within, but once she narrowed her eyes just slightly, she made out a small embryo shape floating in the water. ...or whatever liquid was inside. "O-oh... ooohh."

"Isn't it awesome?" the brunette exclaimed. "It went exactly just like you said! Those mysterious candies being manufactured by an unknown source, they contain some weird sort of energy condensed into a special chemical. We mixed it with this subject's chamber, and it actually began to grow!" She pointed to the floating embryo, clearly excited. "The energy really does advance a Pokémon's growth, just like you said! That's why those Rare Candy things make Pokémon grow and sometimes even evolve!"

The girl blinked. "U-uh... yeah! Just like I hypothesized, yeah!" she said, causing another eruption of cheers and praises from the scientists around her. _What the hell kind of ten year old_ is _this Ignis girl!?_ she thought in her head.

Admiring her with awe, the brunette in front of her suddenly grasped her hands. "I knew you were the smartest out of all of us, Iggy! I just knew it!"

Ignis forced a smile to 'her' acquaintance. "Um, sure! Thanks, that's sweet of you." _Fuck, who_ is _this girl too? Is she... is she Gary's sister, Daisy? Where's that old ass Oak anyways? Where's Gary anyways? Where's-_

"Ah! I see you both are here!" an elderly voice spoke out. She recognized _this_ voice, at least.

As expected, Professor Oak walked towards them from deeper within the lab.

"Ignis, Terra. I've been expecting you two," he said calmly.

 _Yeah, I figured,_ Ignis thought. _...oh,_ this _girl is Terra, huh? Wonders._

"Grandpa!" Terra chirped excitedly, rushing over to the professor to embrace him. "Have you seen the growing little creature? She was right!"

"Yes, Terra," Oak said with a chuckle, "I saw it first thing in the morning." Terra responded to that with a cheeky grin.

Meanwhile, Terra tilted her head, even more confused. _Grandpa? Professor Oak has another granddaughter?_ She tried to recall the Oak family tree in her head, but recalled only the professor himself, Gary (Blue/Green) Oak, and Daisy Oak. ...oh, and also that new Oak person from the Sun and Moon games, but by then she had lost enough passion to not crazily research everything about the games before getting them.

Terra Oak... was a name she had never heard of. _Who is this Terra girl...?_

"Anyways," Professor Oak's words interrupted her thoughts, "I called you two over because obviously, we have some celebration to do," he said. "First thing to note, of course, is the success of this experiment," he said and motioned over to the capsule... chamber... sample. "Ignis over here believed that maybe, those Rare Candies have the properties of the energy we believe to exist everywhere, that maybe the energy is being used in a different form to allow advancement in growth of a Pokémon." He then walked over to Ignis and petted the girl, to her slight annoyance. "And most exciting information we've obtained amidst this research is that indeed, true to her beliefs, there is a special chemical within the candy- it is a specially condensed form of that very energy we are fascinated by!"

More loud cheers and praises. The new Ignis honestly felt like her ears might explode soon.

"This should allow us to finally be able to get a start on identifying this 'energy' we believe to exist, and thus, could mark this moment of history as a turning point in Pokémon science!" He then raised a finger, prompting the cheers to quieten down. "Now, we need to thank the lovely Ignis and Terra for their major contributions to this research, of course, and to make it even better, we have more things to celebrate."

Professor Oak flashed a smile.

"Today not only marks the possible turning point of Pokémon research, but also, today is the birthday of these very two who have assisted us so perfectly for the past eight years!"

Again, the scientists all around cheered for the two and praised them.

As Terra was sheepishly accepting the praises and lowering her head in every direction, Ignis faked a smile and waved while she quickly registered what the professor had just said.

1\. They had the same birthday, supposedly. Therefore, Ignis and Terra were of the same age.

2\. Ignis was some sort of intellectual genius, that's for sure.

3\. They had been assisting Professor Oak's research for eight... years...

Ignis blinked. _What._

Professor Oak patted the girl's back, knocking her out of her thoughts. "Congratulations on turning eighteen, Ignis. You and Terra are now officially adults, and can legally drink now! You've always wondered how it would feel to drink- aren't you glad you can legally find out now?" he asked.

"I, uh, yeah! Yeah, I'm super glad!" Ignis said, faking a laugh to follow.

Professor Oak grinned. "If you think this is all, wait until you see my gift for you two," he said and turned around. "Everyone, follow me. I have something to show these two."

The group followed after the professor, deeper into the lab, while Ignis and Terra exchanged glances.

"Oh, man. This is super exciting!" Terra said. "Grandpa's the best, I swear. What do you think it's going to be?" she asked Ignis, who recoiled slightly.

"Uh... I dunno, hm. Maybe..." she mused. _A gift for us... well, if I'm involved, and if I'm supposed to be the player character..._ "M-maybe he's going to give us our own Pokémon?"

Terra stared. "Hmm... well, it's true that we don't have our own yet, even though most Trainers start out at the age of ten... yeah, yeah! Maybe that's it!" she said. "Let's go, c'mon!"

Grabbing the black haired girl by the hand, she dragged Ignis through the crowd and stopped in front of Professor Oak and a familiar device present in the game's lab.

Professor Oak smiled and looked at the machine. "I remember, throughout your childhood, all you two ever wanted was to get your own Pokémon and become the best Trainers in the world. You often flailed around against our grasps, attempting to run outside the town and catch all the local Pidgey and Rattata..." He chuckled, amused, the others sporting their own knowing grins, while Terra covered her face in embarrassment. "Eventually you two became more fascinated by Pokémon research, and eight years ago, you two decided to stay here and help me with finding out more about Pokémon instead."

"Yeah... I remember that..." Terra huffed, her cheeks a light tint of pink.

"...same," Ignis said, just so people wouldn't perhaps question her lack of speech.

"I was really surprised," the professor continued, "but at the same time, very grateful. And thanks to you two, we've managed to discover many new things about various Pokémon, about their techniques, about their biology... you two are a blessing to us," he said and turned to the two. "I, and all of us in here, are deeply thankful for you two's assistance," he said. "That is why... I believe that at least, today, you two deserve to finally fulfill your childhood dreams."

"...grandpa?" Terra said quietly, still unsure of where this was going.

Nodding, Professor Oak pressed a button on the familiar device, which opened to reveal three Pokéball. He smiled at the two. "Ignis, Terra. You two should pick a Pokémon and set out on a journey," he said.

"W, wh, whaaaaat!?" Terra shrieked. Her disbelief gradually melted into what Ignis assumed was heartbreak, due to tears forming, but then Terra rushed to her grandpa and hugged him tightly. "G-grandpa!" she yelled. "Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh, ohmygosh... thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, I've always wanted my own Pokémon!" she cried.

 _...well, situation aside, what a sweet scene I'm seeing,_ Ignis thought. "Professor Oak, if I may," she said and smiled, "I also deeply thank you and everyone here from the bottom of my heart." She knew that the lines spouting from her mouth were fake. They were lies, they were nonsense that she had never actually experienced. "Researching all these things, all these years, with everyone here... it was a very fun experience for me, and for Terra as well, I'm sure. And now, giving me this chance to become a Pokémon Trainer..."

But even then, even though she knew she didn't feel the same way the original Ignis probably would've felt right now...

...she still felt some sort of gratuity, somehow, towards everyone here.

"Thank you, everyone, from the depths of my heart," she said.

"Happy eighteenth birthday again, Ignis, Terra," everyone said together.

Nodding, Professor Oak pointed to the three Pokéball. "For your options, we have prepared three special Pokémon provided by the generosity of the Gym Leaders Misty, Erika and Blaine."

 _Misty, Erika and Blaine?_ Ignis thought. _Those three Gym Leaders... huh, I don't recall them having the Starter Pokémon._

"I present to you, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle."

"Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man!" Terra squealed. "I already know what I'm going to choose!" Jumping around in joy, wiping away her tears, she quickly turned to Ignis. "Iggy! You go first! I think I know what you'll pick, but I want to know for realzies!"

Ignis chuckled. _Starter Pokémon, eh? This'll be easy._ If anything, she loved Fire-type. Fire's just... extremely cool, if she had to be honest. That's why, when she first booted up the cartridge intending to revive her childhood, she had already chosen in her mind which starter to get.

Grinning, her hand slowly reached towards the Pokéball labelled with _'CHARMANDER'..._

...but then, sighing, she changed directions and picked up the Pokéball labelled _'BULBASAUR'._

Terra blinked. "Huh? You're not going for the Fire-type Charmander?"

The girl shook her head. "Nah, I know I really love Fire-types, but... somehow, I feel like this guy's the best fit for me," she said. _Well, actually, I've just never really went with Bulbasaur, and I really want to know if things really are a lot easier with Bulbasaur, like some people say on the Internet. On that note..._ she exhaled slightly with amusement. _Guess this world's Ignis also loves Fire-type. Good taste, Ignis. Good taste._

"Well, if that's what you want, then sure," Terra said before reaching for the Pokéball labelled _'SQUIRTLE'._ "I'm going with this one!" she chirped.

 _A Squirtle, huh? I thought that, probably being my rival, she'd choose Charmander._ Ignis smiled. "Heh. Nice."

"I know, right?" the brunette squealed. "This is going to be so amazing! My own Squirtle... I've already picked out a name for him, too! Or, uh, her."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ignis asked, gradually loosening up as she figured she might as well as make the best out of her new journey.

"Squirty! I'm going to name my Squirtle 'Squirty'!" Terra said.

Immediately people began snickering around them. The girl blinked and looked around, confused, while Professor Oak sighed and facepalmed, and Ignis had to look away and prevent herself from laughing out loud.

"...I feel like I'm missing something here," Terra mulled. "Anyways, what about you, Ignis?"

Ignis glanced at the Grass-type's Pokéball in her hand, noticing a translucent figure of Bulbasaur smiling at her from within.

She returned the smile and adjusted her cap.

"I'm gonna go with 'Basil'... Basil the Bulbasaur."

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv5)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv5)

 **Notes:**

|| Lyric of the Johto season opening: _"...it's a whole new world we live in..."_

|| Red, prideful eyes. Check _tsurime eyes_ on TV Tropes.

|| Pokémon Adventures (Pocket Monsters Special) is a popular Pokémon comic series.

|| Blue's and Green's names are confusingly switched in some media.

|| _Coronoid_ stems up _Corvus coronoides_ , or the Australian raven.

|| Fragile, green eyes. Check _tareme eyes_ on TV Tropes.

|| Originally, I called them teens upon becoming eighteen. Now, I'm just going to write them as new adults.


	3. The Blonde Woman from Saffron City

**Rewritten: 29/08/2019.**

Leaving Pallet Town, on a trip to Viridian City, the duo meets two blondes and befriends one.

(Previous title: The Worst Man and Woman Existing)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv5)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv5)

* * *

There wasn't quite much to get used to as the new Ignis, so up to this point, she didn't really have any problem masquerading as... well, her Pokémon world counterpart. In fact, the more she quietly pieced together a behavior analysis of the real Ignis from random discussion with her peers during the celebration/birthday party, the more she noticed how similar she seemed to be compared to her.

Supposedly, Ignis loved to crack lame jokes and puns if an opportunity shows itself. The otherworlder was the same.

Ignis also dislikes certain tastes, but often challenges herself to consume food she hated, for no good reason. The otherworlder was the same.

And somehow, Ignis seemed to be the type of person to hang out with a small group rather than partying with the entire crowd... and the otherworlder was the same.

There were more trivial things to note, but honestly, the fact that she was having such an easy time pretending to be Ignis reminded her of the obvious reason: assuming she had been dragged into the game world, she was basically transformed into her own representative player character, so in other words, she simply just... 'became'... herself? If that made any sense at all.

The party lasted several hours, with lots of cheers and praises being tossed around, some celebratory dancing and singing, lots of fancy shows performed by scientists and their Pokémon. Most notable was the amount of food, however, which was huge- and not _just_ huge, but _super_ huge. That surprised her because this was Pallet Town.

Then again, most of these scientists were from other towns.

Nevertheless, by the time the celebration died down, an emotional atmosphere took over the town once more as they eventually gathered at the entrance of the small town. By then, it was just around afternoon.

"You've got everything you need, right?" her mother, standing in front of her, hands grasping her shoulders, asked.

Ignis wanted to chuckle at this, finding her new 'mother' quite sweet for the concern she never saw from her world's mother. "It'll be alright, mom. I've got everything," she said. "Phone, wallet, some spare Pokéballs..." Then she picked up her Bulbasaur, Basil, who was trotting around her happily. "And Basil's here to keep me safe too. Ain't that right, little buddy?" she asked and affectionately nuzzled the reptilian, who returned that with even more affection.

Her 'mother' smiled and nodded. "I understand. I'm just... a bit worried, I suppose. It's not like you could blame me..."

"Mom, it's alright," Ignis said, starting to feel a bit bad. "I understand... it doesn't feel nice to be lonely..." She bit her lips, and looked up. Noticing the others look at her direction, as they smiled, she eventually smiled back. "...but you have everyone here with you. I'm sure they'll... they'll keep you entertained and excited while I'm away."

She noticed tears from the corner of the woman's eyes. Her mother simply nodded again. "I know... I know. Just... stay safe, okay?"

Suddenly, someone pounced on her from the side. "Don't worry, Ms. Coronoid! She has me with her after all!" Terra said and saluted. "I'll make sure to keep her safe and sound! Right, Squirty?"

 _"Squirtle!"_ her Water-type starter chirped happily.

Professor Oak rolled his eyes with a grin. "You sure it's not the other way around, Terra?"

"G-grandpa!" the ponytailed brunette whined, turning red. "I, I'm not a klutz, and you know it!"

"Of course I do," the professor said and laughed, knowing very well how much of a klutz his granddaughter was. Calming down, he took out two familiar devices and handed it to each girl. "Here. I'd also like you two to take this."

Terra's eyes glistened. "Oooh, this is that thing you were working on for quite some time..."

"...a Pokédex," Ignis said in recognition. _Sweet._

Professor Oak then chuckled. "As expected, nothing ever escapes your intellect, do they, Ignis?" Slightly puzzled, Ignis slowly nodded. "That's right. This is the Pokédex, shortened from Pokémon Index. It's a digital encyclopedia for looking up information about Pokémon that you encounter and capture." He pointed to the device they held in their hands. "Although there's a database terminal that already contains all the data, the other professors and I figured that it could serve as a fun challenge to have Trainers try to unlock every entry during their journey."

 _Wait, so all Pokémon's data have already been unlocked, somewhere in the world?_ Ignis thought. _The hell? What's the point of this then?_

"Well, I say that, but we're only in the testing stages right now, though," the professor continued. "We've only began building these devices, and as the professor of Kanto, these two are the only devices I've built in this entire region so far. We all made the basic blueprints for it, but each of us decided to do some modifications in our own tastes, so I assume the others will take a bit longer." Laughing, Professor Oak patted the two on the back. "I'm sure this will serve as a fun challenge for you two on your journey. Try to fill all hundred and forty six entries if you think you can."

 _Wait, what about legendary Pokémon?_ Ignis wondered. _Does tha... wait, hold on._ The girl blinked. "A hundred and forty six?" _Wasn't it one-fifty-one?_

The professor nodded. "That's right. The other professors and I have gathered our regional lists together and decided that, for the world-wide index, Kanto's Pokémon ranges up to around a hundred and fifty. I'm tasking you two with a hundred and forty six because three of them have been seen, reportedly battled by some, but yet to be captured nor examined," he said.

 _Three... ah, that must be the legendary birds,_ the girl thought. _That brings the number of to one-forty-nine though._

"And there _is_ one other Pokémon we decided to include in the Kanto list, but... it's only a mythical Pokémon that we've found ancient notes on, but never actually seen yet."

 _And that must be Mew,_ Ignis added mentally. _There should... oh, wait, Mewtwo is man-made. Figures._

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try this out then," she eventually said. Truthfully, she wasn't too interested in the Pokédex-filling mission, but now that in this world, it wasn't a 'get information of Pokémon for me' mission, but more of a 'challenge to unlock all entries' mission, she supposed it could perhaps be more fun than she'd expected it to be.

"...wait, so is this a competition?" Terra asked.

Ignis stared at her friend. "...well, do you want it to be one?" she asked. _Not that I'd mind, but I'm not too interested in winning it, if that were the case. Priorities, after all._

"Nnnnnnah, nah, I don't want that," the brunette replied. "I want to travel together, so let's just stick together and not compete."

"Uh, sure." The new Ignis wanted to point out that they could still compete and still travel together, but upon thinking about the possible arguments for that, she decided to just drop the matter altogether. The girl turned back to the professor and lowered her head courteously. "Thanks for these, professor."

"Thanks, grandpa!" Terra chirped.

The professor nodded. "Now, you two be on your way and stay safe now."

A woman standing besides him, who Ignis assumed to be _the_ Daisy Oak, waved. "Don't forget to bring souvenirs back!" she said.

Terra laughed. "You got it, sis!"

Ignis similarly returned the wave. "We'll bring back great stuff for sure," she said.

Sending one last smile of confidence to her 'mother', Ignis turned around and walked into Route 1 of Kanto, alongside an energetic Bulbasaur, an excited Terra, and a joyful Squirtle, hoping her counterpart's mother wouldn't break down in tears.

For a journey's beginning, she honestly didn't think it'd be this hard to leave an elderly woman just to follow her dreams.

...

As expected from a game map turned into reality, the walk through Route 1 took a lot more time than she thought it would take. In the games, it wouldn't even take more than three minutes to run your way to Viridian City, unless you were unluckily encountering wild Pokémon a lot.

As of right now, however, it felt like hours had passed. Checking the phone belonging to the real Ignis, however, told her that it had only been a bit over ten minutes.

On the way, they also met a kind man who was supposedly wandering around and slacking off on his job to advertise for the city's Poké Mart. The kind man had given them each a bottle of Potion for free. _What a blessed soul,_ Ignis thought humorously.

Then, human encounters aside, there were many instances of wild Pidgey and Rattata attempting to ambush them- which was rather understandable as well, as these two had just started their journeys with adorable starting Pokémon that obviously seemed like beginners to the harsh reality of life.

Unfortunately for the birds and the rats, the trainer they were attempting to ambush, while technically being a beginner, was at the same time not technically a beginner.

Ignis, for the first time ever since coming to this world, felt excitement rising inside of her.

A Pokémon battle... now _that_ was one of the things she had been waiting to experience in this world!

Her first battle went something like this:

 _"Time to test out battling... Basil! I choose you!" Ignis yelled and pointed at her new opponent- a wild Pidgey glaring at her and Terra._

 _Her reptilian friend chirped excitedly and formed a stance in front of the bird, preparing itself. "Saur!"_

 _The Pidgey hastily accepted this invitation of challenge and spread its wings, flying into the sky, before soaring down towards the Grass-type. "Pidggeeeeeey!" it screeched._

 _"Basil! Dodge and Tackle it!" she said._

 _Basil jumped to its side, narrowly avoiding the Flying-type's attempt to ram into it. Turning around, the Grass-type saw the Pidgey turning around and aiming at it again. Now knowing what to do next, it waited until the Pidgey neared it, and this time jumped early out of the way. Quickly, it landed on its feet and charged power into its body, then jumped and slammed into the Pidgey from the side as it flew past the Grass-type._

 _The Pidgey cried in surprise as it was sent spiraling into the ground. It growled, annoyed, and got up again with its wings spread._

 _Hopping into the air, it flew upwards once more, and attempted yet again to ram into the Bulbasaur._

 _Realizing the dullness of a beginner's fight, Ignis sighed. "Uh. Basil, use your whip to... uh... slam it... Vine Whip?"_

 _Although she had only been assuming the Bulbasaur might know, to her surprise, it nodded. Supposedly, it got the idea, or it already knew the move- whichever one it was, she shoved the matter aside and watched as her Bulbasaur, Basil, leaped sideways again, this time stretching its vines out and slamming the Pidgey down._

 _The Flying-type crashed into the ground and groaned, before falling unconscious._

And that was essentially what made her realize that her experience as a Trainer, even though it wasn't _real life_ experience, had made her raise the hurdle too much. The subsequent battles against more wild Pidgey and Rattata only intensified her boredom for her, since it didn't take much planning for Basil to easily defeat the Flying-type an Normal-type wild Pokémon.

Perhaps it was because when mixed with reality, Pokémon battles cease to be an exciting turn-based battle and became an actual strategic real-time battle.

Eventually she decided that she should have Terra train her Squirtle too.

It didn't last too long, with the brunette's Water-type not being able to dodge as well as her starter Pokémon did. Although the Squirtle- humorously named _Squirty_ \- was able to survive against its short training, in the end it and Terra grew tired swiftly and stopped battling.

So much for that, she supposed.

Thus, the rest of the trip was once again Ignis battling her way through either wild Pidgey or Rattata.

Fortunately for her, _'the rest of the trip'_ here translated to _'the remaining two minutes'_ , as after fifteen minutes of travelling, they finally reached the outskirts of Viridian City.

"Whohohoa," Ignis said, awed. "Viridian City... I am back," she whispered, in reference to her childhood.

"I know, right?" Terra then added. "I remember all those times grandpa brought us here on his trips to buy supplies and stuff... good times."

 _Huh. So the old geezer sometimes bring the two here, huh?_ Ignis thought. "Whatever you say." She then looked to the Squirtle staggering besides its Trainer. "How's your Squirtle doing?"

"Squirty? Oh, probably fine," Terra said and looked down to the turtle Pokémon, who attempted to flash a thumbs-up- a human expression it had picked up from the celebration back at Pallet Town by observing some random scientists. "...hm, maybe I could visit the Pokémon Center anyways. ...also, just call it Squirty."

Ignis suppressed a laugh. "No thanks. It's Squirtle to me."

"Oh, come on, grow up," Terra said. "What's wrong with the name Squirty?"

More suppressed laughter. "I dunno... are you into squirting?"

"Hey, you got me into watersports," the brunette said.

"...uh huh." The otherworlder blinked. _Water sports? I don't do water sports. I don't even like sports!_ Then, to her dismay, her kink knowledge surfaced from deep within her mind. _Ohh... wait... that's..._ She deadpanned. _You know what? I'm just going to put an end to this conversation, right here._ "Oh, uh, look. Poké Mart. Let's go check it out."

To her relief, her friend immediately forgot the topic and rushed towards the building. "Yay! Shopping!"

A new concern quickly plagued the girl. _I hope she doesn't kill both our wallets._

...

Some minutes later, the two strolled out the Poké Mart, their bags slightly heavier. "Thanks, Tammy!" Terra called, waving to the friendly saleswoman inside. The door promptly slid close as the woman waved back with an equally cheerful smile.

Tammy seemed to be the name of the employee her friend waved to. Apparently, they were on rather good terms, as all of their previous visits with the professor, the two interacted with this 'Tammy' often. Apparently, this 'Tammy' woman also got along with almost everyone in Viridian City.

Ignis had to wonder how significant random NPCs would become in her new journey.

Well, Tammy asides, the more pressing concern she had was having to lend money to Terra, due to the girl clumsily forgetting her wallet back at Pallet Town.

"So, who's not a klutz?" the girl asked, a knowing grin plastered on her lips.

Terra rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Everyone gets excited enough to forget their wallets at home."

"I am a living contradiction to that claim, missy."

"Get bent," the brunette retorted. The two laughed as they slowly walked away.

"Well, at least things aren't too expensive here," Ignis said. "We're only just buying more bottles of Potion, after all."

Terra nodded. "With all the Pokéball the others gave us back at Pallet Town, we don't need to buy more of them anytime soon."

 _I dunno, ten Pokéballs each doesn't sound too plenty,_ the ravenette thought, being more used to buying up to hundreds of Pokéballs in her games. Nevertheless, she shrugged and nodded.

"True that. I could, like, make my own army of Pidgey and Rattata right now," she joked.

"There's no way you'd do that," Terra snickered.

"Is that a challenge I hear?"

"Pft. You're not going to do that, Iggy."

"Or will I? Ohohoho, suspense."

Again, the two couldn't help but laugh as they made their way towards a nearby bench, wanting to settle down for a while.

There was another thing they had to discuss, after all.

As the two sat down together, Ignis pulled out a parcel from her bag. "Oh, right. We have to deliver this to Professor Oak, don't we?" she recalled.

"Oh yeah... wonder what he ordered from Tammy this time," Terra said. "More chemicals from other professors? Some documents? Scientific tools? Hm."

 _I think they were just extra Pokéballs..._ Ignis thought. "Uh, who knows. Maybe we'll find out once we deliver this to him."

"And walk all the way back? Talk about tiresome," the professor's granddaughter said.

Before they could make anymore remarks about their new side task, a shadow approached them. The two looked up to see a blonde man with an annoying grin on his face standing in front of them.

They stared at each other. "...um," Terra said, "do you... need something from us?"

The man chuckled. "Oh, nothing much. Just wondering what you two fine ladies were doing."

 _Uh oh. I'm already getting a playboy vibe._ Ignis held back the urge to scowl in disgust, instead feigning a smile. "Right. We were just discussing something we wanted to deliver to someone."

"I see, I see." Rubbing his chin, the man pretended to muse over the possibilities before grinning. "Is it for Professor Oak?"

"I, uh... yeah," Ignis said. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, just lucky guessing."

Terra blinked. "That's... awesome, but kinda weird."

 _...how the heck would he even know from lucky guessing that it's for Professor Oak?_ Ignis thought. _...how does he even know we were going to go to Pallet Town? That almost sounds like something a real player would say rather than an NPC... huh..._

Suddenly, he tilted his head ever so slightly. The two had only a second to wonder what he was doing before-

 _-SHWIP-_

Something flew past his head, embedding itself into the walls of the random house behind the bench. A few seconds passed before, glancing at what now separated the two, both girls realized there was a sword stabbing through the middle of the distance between them.

 _What. The. Hell._

Ignis and Terra quickly jumped up and away from the sword, a yelp escaping their mouths. "Eek!"

"W-what the hell!?" Ignis hissed.

The man chuckled. "Oh well, I guess my time here is up," he said, to their confusion. Then...

 _"You rotten dirtbag!"_ a woman's voice screamed at them.

The two jumped slightly and noticed, in the distant, a blond haired woman running towards them.

Saluting to the two, the blond man exhaled with amusement and threw a Pokéball to the ground. A familiar bat Pokémon with four wings emerged from the following smoke cloud. It grabbed hold of the man's backside somewhere and began flapping its wings, lifting the annoying-faced man into the sky. "Adieu, ladies," he said as he was carried away at a surprising speed.

Ignis and Terra stared as the man disappeared into the sky, while the blonde woman who had yelled (and supposedly threw the sword) stopped short in front of them, panting. The woman, who wore a plain straw hat and dressed casually, tiredly looked up at the two. "That... that man... he..."

"He... uh... flew away," Terra eventually said.

Flashing an exasperate look, the girl quietly pulled her sword out of the wall, and groaned as she looked upwards. "This is frustrating..."

"Uh, just wanted to ask," Ignis said, "is it... safe to be carrying that thing around?"

"This katana? Oh, it is fine," the woman replied with an innocent smile. "I only use it to threaten evildoers. There's no chance of it actually hurting anyone."

 _My ass, that thing almost went through our faces!_ Ignis thought. "R-right. So... who are you?" she asked. "And who was that guy?"

On the surface, this was just polite greetings and introductions to new people, of course. Underneath that, however, she definitely found herself intrigued. The original games did not have some weird blond man with an annoying face, and it definitely didn't have a swords-wielding, katana-throwing blonde woman as well. These two were most likely not NPCs, she deduced.

"My name is Hana... um... Hana Kanazawa," the blonde said.

 _...whuhuh!?_

"I hail from Saffron City," she continued. "My father is a high-positioned member of the famous company, the Silph Company. Perhaps you two have heard of it?"

"Heard of it? That's, like, the leading manufacturer of the common Pokéball that we all know and use!" Terra exclaimed.

 _Oh, Silph Company,_ Ignis thought. "Yeah, we know of it," she said. "So you're the president's daughter?"

The blonde woman, Hana, shook her head. "No, no, my father is not of the president position. He is simply a high positioned worker within the company."

"Oh. ...well, that's still pretty impressive, I suppose," Ignis said. _Fuck that, I don't know anything about business._

"Indeed. My father even told me tales of how he inspired the design of the current Pokéballs!" Hana said, her eyes shining with admiration. "In fact, supposedly he was the one who pitched the idea of Pokéballs themselves! He is the most impressive of all of mankind within the company!"

"Uh... sure." _Now_ that's _just fatherly boasting,_ the two girls from Pallet Town thought immediately.

"So, uh... again, what's with the sword?" Ignis asked once more. "I figured in this time, everyone would be more into... you know. Pokémon battles."

At that remark, Hana scratched her head. "Well, I do suppose the people of nowadays settle their differences with Pokémon battles, you are right." She frowned and looked away, pondering her words before sighing. "...I do not have a Pokémon of my own, however unfortunate it may seem."

 _Ooooh. Another beginner,_ Ignis mused. "Huh. I see."

"...is that not an amusing thing?" the blonde eventually asked. "Will you not find humor within that and laugh amongst yourselves, delivering words of disbelief and mockery towards me?"

"I, uh, what?"

"Where'd that even come from?" Terra asked. "Iggy would never do that. Me neither. We both literally just started our Trainer experience almost an hour ago anyways," she informed the blonde. "Besides, why would anyone laugh at you for not having your own Pokémon?"

Hana stared at the two, amazed. "I... I suppose you two are right. It just seemed like the natural thing to do, seeing as my friends back in Saffron City always found it humorous."

"...Terra," Ignis suddenly said and turned to the brunette, "is the professor planning on giving the Charmander away to anyone?"

Said ponytailed girl blinked and rubbed her chin. "Um... not that I recall, no. I don't think so."

Wasn't that perfect? One more Starter Pokémon with no one to become its owner, and a girl in need of her own Pokémon. Ignis couldn't help but feel a bit bad for this strange not-NPC in front of her, and in less than a minute she made up her mind. "Hana. We're about to go back to Pallet Town for a while, to deliver a parcel to her grandfather," she said, pointing to Terra. "I think the professor has a Pokémon that he wouldn't mind giving away to someone looking for a partner. How about it?"

"...I... uh..." The girl was clearly at a loss for words. Unsure of whether to believe in these two girls' promises, the blonde pulled her straw hat down slightly to hide her face. "Um... I'm not sure... we aren't even acquainted with each other, so why..."

"...huh." _Well, she's got a point._ Ignis was then reminded of those characters she often saw in fictional shows, those characters who were so perfectly innocent and friendly that they'd try to befriend whoever they could just because they somehow represented kindness and purity. Or something of that sort.

Gods, she swore, she _loathed_ those kinds of characters. The girl was quite aware of the harsh reality that no matter where one goes, no one ever holds that much kindness within them. Even she herself had selfish or evil thoughts from time to time, but usually it's not to the point of being a criminal or anything.

 _...wait, now that I think about it..._ the girl frowned. _I'm acting exactly like those wishy-washy goody two shoes characters!_ The girl suddenly felt unpleasant.

 _Oh, hell no, there is no way I'm going to keep this up._ She opened her mouth in order to change her mind.

But once she saw the hesitant expression on Hana's face, the expression of someone who was extremely happy and yet shy and afraid, someone who seemed to be awaiting an answer to her hopes...

 _...oh, what the hell, you can't say no to that face,_ she thought.

"I'm Ignis," the girl suddenly said, to the surprise of the blonde.

"Um...?"

Terra decided to follow suit. "I'm Terra. Nice to meet you, um... Hana, right?"

Hana blinked. "I... yes, I am Hana."

Ignis smiled. "Well, there you go. Now we know each other."

"That's... that's..." Hana stared. How could this stranger just give her name away so easily? And how can these two just promise a Pokémon for her so willingly? No intent on taking advantage of her, no laughing nor mockery regarding her lack of Pokémon experience, no nothing.

The otherworlder slowly smiled as the blonde slowly peeked from under her straw hat. "Shall we get going then?" she asked Terra.

Said brunette grinned. "Eh, sure."

Hana formed a weak smile. "I... I thank you two... very much..." she shyly said.

...

After the fifteen minute trip back to Pallet Town, the two girls greeted their acquaintances once more, with each side offering their amused remarks about how short their absence lasted. Then, they introduced the third girl to the others, to which the blonde initially reacted badly with her katana to hide her embarrassment, but eventually calmed down enough to sheathe her sword.

Returning to Professor Oak's lab, Ignis and Terra went to quietly discuss their idea with the professor while Hana waited outside.

Just as she thought the suspense was getting to her head, she was eventually called inside.

"Yes. I offer my greetings, Professor Oak," the blonde said and knelt down, her head lowered politely. "I am... I am Hana Kanazawa, daughter of a high positioned worker of the Silph Company's main branch, stationed in Saffron City. By suggestion from these two, I have come to seek an audience with you to make a request," she stated humbly.

The professor raised an eyebrow, sending a glance to the two Pallet Town girls, both who shrugged. "...very well. Raise your head, girl," he replied with a low voice, figuring he could have some fun like this. Hana slowly raised her head to look up at the professor, who, considering the sheer eeriness of the lab and its mystifying glows, almost looked like some sort of crime lord.

She gulped. "T-today... um. Today, I have come to request ownership of... of your final Pokémon, a... a Charmander."

Her heart began beating faster from the suspense, the famous professor remaining silent. Then...

He stifled a laugh, before breaking into an energetic chuckle. "My word, that was rather amusing," he said.

Hana blinked. "E-excuse me?"

"I didn't expect my granddaughter to bring home someone who could be so humble!" Professor Oak said. "I'm sorry, I felt you were slightly intimidated by me, so I thought I could have some fun with you."

"I... I see..."

Igins and Terra groaned. _This is your grandpa?_ the ravenette thought.

As if reading her mind, the brunette flashed her an expression that simply said _'Get bent.'_

"Anyways, my Charmander, is it?" The man rubbed his chin for a while before smiling. "I suppose it'd be a shame for it to remain here with no one to be its partner." He reactivated the machine once more, revealing a final Pokéball stashed within. The professor took it and handed it over to the blonde. "This Charmander is now yours, Hana. I hope you'll take good care of it."

The blonde nodded. "I... I swear on my honor, I will take good care of this Pokémon!"

"What're you thinking of naming it?" Ignis asked.

"Hmm..." Releasing her new Charmander outside of its Pokéball, Hana promptly picked up the Fire-type and stared at it curiously. "Naming, huh... maybe a name that symbolizes how strong it will become..."

"Nah, the name doesn't actually matter that much," Ignis said. "Just name it whatever you want to call it, something nice and simple is good enough."

"Nice and simple... nice and simple."

Terra smiled. "For a Charmander, I'd name is Charm. Or Mander. How about those?"

Ignis turned sideways. "You're banned from naming others' Pokémon."

"Hey!"

Hana smiled as the two began bickering. She looked at her Charmander, who chirped happily at receiving its own Trainer.

"Hmm... how about I call you Emma?"

 _"Chaarrr!"_

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv8)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv6)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv5)

 **Notes:**

|| I moved the departure scene to the beginning of Chapter 3.

|| I shortened the kink conversation from the previous rewrite.

|| Tammy the Poké Mart saleswoman is a character whose name I forgot to formally introduce in the original and previous rewrite attempt. It was a also a small but crucial element in the Team Rocket introduction chapter to come, which is why for a moment I myself was also lost when I went back to read it, wondering who the hell Tammy was supposed to be.

|| The more I rewrite this story, the less the blond man resembles the character I based him off of: Orihara Izaya. His name was introduced at this point in the original, but in following rewrite attempts, his name remains hidden until later.


	4. Viridian Forest: Shocking Rodent Hunt

**Rewritten: 31/08/2019.**

Ignis makes her way to the Viridian Forest, where a special event is being held.

(Previous title: The Viridian Rodent Hunt)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv8)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv6)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv5)

* * *

The ceiling, illuminated by moonlight from the window, was trapped within her eyes.

She stared on and on, focused not on the plainness of her room's state, but instead on her general situation.

The day having neared its end, she suggested Hana stay over for a night, giving her both a chance to get to know the blonde better along with Terra, and at the same time allowing her to spend one more night with her 'mother', whom she had somehow already felt more attached to than her real mother from her original world.

All in all, she thought she deserved praise for this- it was a plus for her, for Hana, and for her 'mother', sort of.

So when Terra whined and ended up staying over at her house too, the three had what she'd call a normal sleepover episode, starting with introduction conversations, then gradually converting the room into a war zone for- as Terra had quoted- a very much necessary pillow fight.

With that out of the way... she now remained awake in the darkness of the room, unable to fall asleep, drowning in the quiet that blended with Terra's and Hana's quiet snores.

Ignis couldn't help but wonder- if, following the logic of those overused 'otherworld' stories she had read online, she had been brought to this world for a reason... perhaps she really did become a sort of 'Chosen One' heroine? After all, with what the giants had told her in that other dimension or realm, the original Ignis was supposedly important enough to be monitored by the seven, and supposedly either her or the original Ignis were supposed to fulfill some sort of prophecy to save Kanto from impending danger.

It didn't take much thinking for her to deduce that this 'danger' was probably Team Rocket, of course. Like, who else would be trying to plunge Kanto into danger?

Not that she would consider 'moneymaking criminal syndicate' something extremely threatening towards a region, really.

The girl sighed and pushed herself up. Thinking about these things wasn't really going to help her fall asleep faster, and honestly, she wasn't really that sleepy tonight. Cautiously making her way out her bedroom, so as to not wake up Terra nor Hana, she briefly headed down the stairs before fully realizing the lights were still on.

Downstairs, her mother sat alone at the dining table, a cup of what she assumed was warm milk in front of her.

Feeling a bit bad for the 'mother', she walked over to the opposite side of the table and sat down. "...are you okay, mom?" the girl asked.

"...I'm fine," her 'mother' replied. "I'm just... still extremely worried for you girls," she said.

"...guess that's a given, huh?" A chuckle escaped her lips. "Not that I can blame you. If I were a mother, I'd be worried no matter what, too."

For the first time ever, the older woman responded with her own amused chuckle. "What're you acting all grown up for now?" she asked.

"Oh, come on, I'm an adult now. No surprise I'm hella mature, right?" Ignis said.

She was met with an eye roll. "I wouldn't know about that."

Her 'mother' finally found something to be amused by. She had only seen the woman flash a smile mixed with immense sadness the entire time she had been in this world, but now, just this small conversation alone- it was something that was bringing out a genuine smile of pride from her counterpart's mother.

The more Ignis looked at her new 'mother', the more she felt... refreshed. The more she felt compelled to reassure her, that everything would be okay, so that she could live on in Pallet Town without worries.

...Ignis sighed. "Well, I guess I do have my worries too though. Never know what might happen out there."

"Mmhm. Never let your guard down no matter what, Ignis. That's a basic rule not just for a Trainer's journey, but for everything out there."

 _What else can I talk to her about?_ the girl wondered. _This_ is _her last moment with me, her... 'daughter', sort of, after all._ The girl scratched her head, before her mind randomly landed on a topic she never thought she'd try to look into. "Say... I've never really seen Dad around," she said, with the pure assumption that the father of this household probably never entered her counterpart's life, just like in the games.

At this, however, her 'mother' seemed to tense. "...your father..."

"...I can't even recall ever seeing any pictures of him either." That was an obvious given, of course, but prior to departing on her journey, she had assumed there would at least be some sort of family picture somewhere in the house. There being none for her to discover simply led her to believe there weren't any photos of the father at all as well.

"...I suppose it would only be fair for me to at least tell you the truth," the mother eventually spoke up.

Ignis gulped. _I'm getting a serious vibe from this... what the hell happened to my otherworld dad?_

"But... I'm still not ready for that." Oh. Well, that quickly brought her hopes down. "I'm really sorry, Ignis, I just... can't," the mother said.

"Well... I mean, hey, who cares? Not like I was dying to find that out," the girl responded. _I mean, I was just curious if it was some deep lore or something._ "If you're not comfortable with that, mom, then it's fine."

Her 'mother' offered a weak smile again, a nod mixed with slight guilt following.

After a short moment of silence, the mother got up. "Well, I think I've had enough milk for tonight. I should... probably get to sleep," she said. "You should too, Ignis. Better more sleep than less energy."

As her mother headed to the stairs, Ignis stood up. "...mom, I'm going to go through Viridian Forest," she said. "If you want... if you want, I'll get a Pikachu for you. I'm sure it'll be able to keep you company while I'm gone." _And besides, who wouldn't cheer up with their own Pikachu? Smart me._

Her mother smiled. "...thank you, Ignis. Really... thank you."

At least, she felt like her mother was in a slightly better mood now, so Ignis sighed with relief as she sat back down. She still had a lot on her mind, so maybe sleep can come later. The girl watched as her mother ascended the stairs, before she stopped at a level where her face almost disappeared from Ignis' sight. _...?_

"...Ignis, if you still want to know," her 'mother' began, "then... Cinnabar Island. When you get to Cinnabar Island... or Seafoam Islands... find Blaine."

 _The Fire-type Gym Leader?_ Ignis tilted her head.

"He'll... give you the answers."

In a short moment, her mother disappeared from her sight completely. Ignis was left slightly puzzled, wondering what the bald Fire-type expert had anything to do with her mother. Then, she paled. _Wait, no way. There's no way that guy's my real father... that's a stupid fucking twist, don't you fucking dare-_

She ended up not sleeping that night.

* * *

Viridian Forest. One of the most well-known areas in the game, coupled with its cute sounding music! ...was a misunderstanding Ignis often had, due to lack of attempt to memorize and learn something so simple. The song she knew of was the theme song for Route 1 and Route 2, but somehow she always associated it with Viridian Forest instead, which actually had a much more eerie theme.

But background music wasn't an actual thing you can hear in reality, so her thoughts about the music were quickly shoved aside for the bigger part to be excited for.

The very first forest you step foot into, in the games, where you can catch the classic Bug-types Caterpie and Weedle, and most importantly, the infamous Electric-type Pikachu!

Having departed from Pallet Town once more in the morning, they took a mere half an hour to get to the safety shelter leading into Viridian Forest.

Ignis turned around and pumped her fist into the air. "Who's ready for Viridian Forest!?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Wow, someone's excited," Terra remarked as her hands fumbled behind her hair, trying to tie it into a ponytail. Due to her fatigue, she had forgot to fix her appearance earlier in the morning, and so only began attempting to do so after passing through Viridian City.

"No slacking off!" the ravenette hissed, slightly surprising the professor's granddaughter. Then, turning to Hana, Ignis smiled. "Hana, since you've only just started your journey and might not be used to Pokémon battling yet, I suggest you take this opportunity to train inside the forest. There's many benefits to battling and training your Pokémon."

"I... I see," the blonde said with a nod. "If I may ask, do you know what sort of Pokémon I should expect to battle within in the forest?"

Terra rubbed her chin. "It's mostly just small Bug-types like Caterpie and Weedle. You might find their evolved species, Metapod and Kakuna respectively, but those ones have damn thick armors," she said. "Or, uh, coating... bug skin? I dunno, I didn't study bugs."

"What kind of a researcher are you?" Ignis asked, incredulous. "Don't discriminate against bugs."

"What, are you volunteering to handle the Bug-type research?" Terra asked.

Ignis grinned. "Of course! I-" She paused. She didn't actually mind Bug-types one bit, but her plan just now was to spout out a point that proves her to be a smart intellectual. However... having done terribly in science classes back in her own world, she only just remembered that she knew absolutely nothing about insect biology, nor even just science in general. Game knowledge? Yeah. Scientific education? ...nah. "...I'll pass on that," she eventually said, deciding she didn't want to continue the path of a researcher like her counterpart seemed to aim for.

"Aha! You're no better!" Terra said.

"Oh, shush. Anyways," Ignis cleared her throat twice and turned back to the shelter's entrance. "Inside, there are many of those common Bug-types. They serve as great training, and more importantly, they're perfect for capturing and training to evolve!"

"C-capturing more Pokémon?" Hana asked. "So early? I've only just received my Charmander yesterday evening..."

The ravenette grabbed her shoulder. "Nonsense, it'll be fine! Just keep training until you find the perfect opponent to capture!" she said.

"Uh... I see, I suppose that makes sense," the blonde said and nodded. "It does allow me to identify the strongest of the bunch, to add to my team, after all..."

"That's right. As the self-assigned, self-proclaimed coach of today's gathering," Ignis said and proudly pointed to herself, "I, the magnificent Ignis, am assigning you two to each capture one Bug-type!"

"Say whaaaat?" Terra groaned. "What's with this drill sergeant act so early in the morning? Jeez, you're going to kill me one of these days..."

 _Drill sergeant? Is that how they act?_ Not that she would know, so the girl quickly dismissed that question. "Well, come on now. It won't be that bad- you'll get Bug-types that can evolve into strong Pokémon! Heck, one of them gains drill hands. Drill hands! Doesn't that sound cool!?"

Hana nodded, suddenly fueled with energy. "That indeed sounds marvelous! Where can I find this drill insect!?"

"Hmm... alright, I'll give specifics!" Ignis pointed to Hana. "Your mission is to catch one Weedle! They're these brown worms with horns." Then, pointing to Terra, she grinned. "Terra, you get yourself a Caterpie! I'm sure you know what that looks like."

"Well, yeah, I'm the professor's granddaughter for a reason," the brunette replied. "...wait, what about you? What're you going to catch?"

"Me?" Ignis's grin grew wider. "I'm going to go for a Pikachu!"

The two stared at her for a short while, before they exploded in unison: _"Whaaaaat!?"_

...

"Fellow citizens of Viridian City!" a voice yelled. "Are we not worried about our supplies being stolen!?"

Few voices reluctantly agreed, followed by some unsure nods.

"Are we not frustrated by these hostile electric rodents attacking us all the time!?"

"Y-yeah!" some more voices piped up.

"Do we not wish to own our very own adorable, cuddly, little electrical rascals!?"

"Yeah!" more voices joined the fray.

"Then," the weird-looking announcer said, "I hereby announce the start of the Viridian City Pikachu Hunt! Capture and bring all the Pikachu you manage to get, and I will award you a prize between two options: money, or a super duper totally rare Pokémon!"

 _"Yeah!"_ almost all the people gathered in the forest cheered together.

From afar, Ignis blinked. "Uh, their goals are all over the place," she commented.

"Well, it does seem to be a hastily put together event," Terra said. "I've never even heard anything from local news about Pikachu attacks or Poké Mart thefts."

"So I guess there is going to be many rivals for you, Ms. Ignis?" Hana said. "That is rather a shame, but all the same a challenge to overcome. Now, I must focus on my task at hand..."

"And someone's taking their 'mission' seriously..." the brunette muttered.

"Hey, she's being a good sport," Ignis said with a chuckle. "And you better too. Go forth and capture your future Caterpie, henchman!"

"Woman."

"Oh, who cares about that."

Rolling her eyes, Terra then looked around the area, her eyes gliding through various patches of grass. Soon enough, she spotted a familiar green caterpillar crawling around ith a carefree attitude. The granddaughter smiled and motioned for her Squirtle to quietly ambush it. Said turtle Pokémon nodded and, slowing its own movement down, took small quiet steps toward the wild Caterpie... getting closer... and closer... and-

"Where's the Pikachu!?" some random Bug Catcher kid stomped nearby, causing the Caterpie to squeak in surprise and (somehow) crawl away at a speed faster than what should be possible for them.

"H-hey!" Terra yelled. "That... oh, damn it!"

"...bad luck there," Ignis said, biting down her lips. _Well, I'd be equally frustrated though... get a hint, people._

Meanwhile, Hana was similarly inching quietly towards a Weedle she spotted climbing up a tree. Then, she took out an empty Pokéball and prepared to throw it. The reason she hadn't ordered her Charmander to take action was because, being a total beginner, she was afraid of accidentally causing arson. As the girl reeled her right arm back, she didn't notice another trainer running towards their direction.

As if fate hadn't been cruel enough, the trainer's footsteps were loud, and as he ran past the two, the Weedle squeaked in surprise and finished its climb immediately.

The blonde narrowed her eyes at the Trainer. She took in a deep breath and walked over to the grown up. "Excuse me, but what you did just now-"

"Hey, buzz off!" the man yelled at her, causing her to flinch and take a step back. "If you can't tell, I'm busy here! Don't get in my way of nabbing some Pikachu!"

Hana remained silent for a while, Ignis assuming her to be in slight shock, before she scowled. As the man left, she reached for her sword.

"W-whoa, whoa! Hana! Stop!" Ignis shrieked and pounced her from behind, a tight hold on her arms.

"That man deserves more than a thousand deaths for his insufferable attitude and millions of single hair burning fickle blasts and-"

 _What the hell is she even saying anymore!?_ the girl thought. She was about to ask Terra, who had been observing with slight amusement, for help, but eventually Hana stopped and calmed herself.

"I-it's alright... it's alright. I am... I am calm," the blonde said. "I am... calm."

Letting go of the girl, Ignis gulped. "Right. You are... calm." _I thought she said the sword was only for threatening evildoers._ She looked around. "Well... hey, it's alright. We've got all the time and chances here, don't let this bother you two too much."

"...I see. You are right." Hana nodded. "I shall take this as a short moment of failure that should motivate me to keep trying."

"Uh... sure. Sure, go with that."

 _But then again..._ as the two girls resumed their friend-given 'task', Ignis observed their surroundings with a grim face. _This really is terrible..._

All around, there were kids and adults rampaging through the forest, searching here and there for Pikachu without regard for their surroundings. Wild Pokémon everywhere were fleeing from them, hiding outside the... 'map' area, cowering behind trees or simply disappearing from people's sights as if they were never there in the first place. _These idiots aren't being considerate of other people nor Pokémon at all..._

 _If this keeps going on, we might have to stick near the trees instead of staying in the grass,_ she thought before rubbing her chin. _...speaking of which..._

"What's wrong, Iggy?" Terra asked. She had noticed the girl looked deep in thought for a while now, having expected some more witty remarks. "You look lost."

"...eh, it's nothing." The girl narrowed her eyes as she looked at some more trees, or 'walls' in terms of game maps. _Normally you wouldn't be able to walk through the trees, but considering this is my new reality now..._ "Terra, why does the forest's layout look so... unnatural?"

"Huh? That? Oh, uh..." She scratched her head, trying to remember the answer. "I think I read somewhere, a long time ago, that for the sake of people's safety and navigation, many places are paved and modified to provide a safe path for people looking to get through without trouble," she said. "Most of these places are labeled as 'Routes', but some are just forests, and in rare occasions, caves are sometimes modified as well," she said.

Ignis blinked. _Okay, I did not expect an actual answer for that. But that was quite interesting._ Ah, yes, game-convenience mechanics. She always loved to question the possible in-universe explanations, and now that she's finally heard one, no doubt she felt really excited. Of course, that was something to be contained. "Okay, and what if I went past the trees?"

"The trees?" Terra said and looked at the 'impassible tiles'. "Uh... well, it's not impossible, I just wouldn't recommend it, I guess? Seems like people don't put regulations beyond these man-made safety paths, so you'd risk higher chances of being poisoned, being kidnapped, being attacked... stuff."

"...Ms. Ignis, you look like you're planning something dangerous," Hana eventually commented, pausing to listen in and looking at the two.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with her on this one, you look like... wait, huh?" Terra stopped when Ignis began walking towards a 'wall' of trees. "W-wait, Iggy?"

"...hm..."

"I-Ignis, whoa, stop!" the brunette called. "You're not thinking of seriously going deeper into the forest, are you?"

Pausing, Ignis looked back. "...maybe?"

"You're kidding me," Terra said. "You're kidding me, right? That's the stupidest thing you could do right now."

"And it might just work," Ignis replied with a grin. "Think about it... look at all this chaos going on. The Pokémon have no choice but to hide where its safe for them, which is where absolutely no one goes now." She rubbed her chin, feeling slightly like some sort of detective. "And since I know Pikachu are probably a smart race, even before now, they'd be more likely to hide somewhere people don't bother them. How's that for reasoning, my dear Watson?"

"Uh, who are you calling Watson?" Terra grimaced.

"I have to say, what you suggest does seem possible," Hana said, "but even then, I agree with Ms. Terra. It's extremely dangerous to stray off the path that the people have paved for us," she said. "...even though I'd much rather go there than stay here with these disturbing, rude barbarians..."

"Well, hey, it's not like I'm dragging you two with me," Ignis said, to their surprise. "I'm only after Pikachu anyways. I promised my mom I'd get one for her, so this really is the best and fastest chance for me. It's unlikely that it'd be worth your time though, since the Bug-types probably wouldn't stay hidden away for too long. Can I get you two to wait here for me?"

Terra frowned. "Uh, I still think this is an extremely stupid idea..."

"I think the same. Are you sure about this, Ms. Ignis?" Hana asked.

 _...well, secret technique time._ Ignis pointed at Hana. "New task! Stay here and keep Terra here!"

"What the-" Terra immediately turned to Hana, her hands raised defensively.

Hana instinctively saluted. "I shall do that!" she said.

The two then blinked. "...wait!" Terra hissed and turned back to Ignis...

...who had already disappeared from the safety path.

Growling, the brunette stared straight into the pitch darkness hidden behind the trees.

 _"Igniiiiiiis!"_

...

Though, she should've gave her plan a little more thought, as now that she was deep somewhere within the outer boundaries of the forest, the girl had completely lost all sense of direction. Here and there she could only see nothing but trees, trees, ad trees.

"Yeah, why didn't anyone stop me from doing this?" she mused. _Then again, you tricked them into looking away._ She sighed. "Good going, me."

The girl took out her phone and checked the time. Going by the last time she had checked, at least two minutes had passed.

That probably wasn't something significant to note, but for Ignis, she felt like it had been at least ten minutes since she first stepped it.

 _Then again I never did have a proper grasp on time either..._

She looked around, before spotting a small area that seemed brighter than the insides of the zone. Curious, she headed towards the light and slowly saw more of the bright scenery. The girl figured she somehow made her way back to the safety path, but when she reached the area, she saw that it was a completely new clearing that she had never seen anywhere in the game before.

Furthermore, although a bit large, it was a space almost empty, save for some small lakes and ponds, and a tree at the center.

"Wooooh. The heck is this place?" Ignis whispered. "Never seen _this_ part in the game."

Then, spotting yellow moving creatures from afar, she moved closer with a growing smile.

Sure enough, they were a group of the very Pokémon she had been searching for. Yellow fur, black-tipped ears, zigzagged tails, and red cheek marks: Pikachu.

 _Score!_ she thought with a tightened fist.

Only one day into her new life, and her progress so far was pretty good: Viridian Forest, a Pikachu in the shopping cart, ready to go.

 _...okay, I need to work on my metaphor skills._

Shaking her head, she quietly walked closer to the tree. Although she wasn't betting on them not noticing, it was the least she could hope for.

That wasn't something the gods above answered positively, of course.

A Pikachu quickly scurried down the tree and stood on all fours facing her, a scowl on its face.

Small note: a Pikachu's gender can be determined by the shape of their tail's end. Males have rectangular tail ends, while females have heart-shaped tail ends. A brief glance to this particular Pikachu told the girl that it was a female, and judging by how pissed it looks, possibly one of the strong-willed ones of the crowd.

 _Oh, man, if looks could kill..._ Ignis gulped and reached for her Pokéball. "Alright, bad girl, let's see what you've got...! Basil!"

Her Pokéball released a familiar blue skinned reptilian who chirped excitedly. It faced the Pikachu, and changed into a determined expression. _"Saur!"_

The thrill of battles growing inside again, she pointed towards the tree. "Let's-"

 _"Chuuuu!"_

Her eyes widened. The Pikachu had forcefully took control of the first move by shooting out electricity towards, not Basil, but _her._ "Holy shit!" she shrieked and jumped asides. "What the hell!"

The Pikachu scowled. _"Pika!"_

"Yikes, she's _pissed..._ " the girl muttered. "B-Basil! Tackle!"

Recovering from the astonishment of this Pikachu's clear hatred, Basil nodded. _"S-saur!"_ it said, nodded, and ran towards the electric rat.

The Pikachu, however, jumped over the Bulbasaur. Rather than turning around to attack it, she suddenly grinned and scurried towards... _her._

"Ohfuckitall- Basil! Wrap your vines!" Ignis screamed.

 _"S-saur!"_ Her Bulbasaur quickly turned around and extended its vines towards the Electric-type. The first attempt to capture her missed, but the second attempt succeeded and kept the Pikachu in its right vine. _"Saur!"_

 _"Chuuuu!"_ the Pikachu hissed again, releasing another violent dose of electricity.

At first Ignis wasn't worried about Basil taking much damage, since she assumed plants realistically wouldn't be affected by voltage, but then she noticed Basil wince and let out a small groan. "Oh shit, is it too strong...? Okay, stop, stop!" she yelled.

Confused, both Basil and the Pikachu looked at her, calming down.

Ignis sighed. "Uh, how do I say this... Pikachu, I kinda get the vibe you're entirely focused on killing me here," she said.

 _"Pika,"_ was the reply she got that, while she didn't understand it, she was quite sure was a confirmation.

Troubled, she clutched her head. "I get ya, girl. But, like... a Pokémon battle is a Pokémon battle, you know? We can't let that escalate into something worse," she said. The scowl on the Electric-type's face didn't change, so she sighed. "Jeez, think of it this way. If you've got a problem with someone, then you should confront th...?" She blinked. _This girl's got a problem with me, so..._ she stared. _Then it's all fair then...?_ "...ah, jeez, this is..."

Why the hell was she even hesitating? A Pokémon battle was a Pokémon battle, that's the ironclad rule of the world. She had to get this drilled into the Pikachu.

But then again, she believed purely in the notion that when someone has a problem with another, they should confront them directly.

Why should she let this escalate, though? Pikachu can charge up to and higher than ten thousand voltage, for heaven's sake! Fighting Pikachu directly is, like, definitely suicide. There was no way she would do something like fighting the Pikachu in place of her own Pokémon, that's just plain stupid.

...but the more she looked at the Pikachu, the more it became obvious the Electric-type would stop at nothing to get her.

She bit her lips. _Maybe it's impossible to get any of these Pikachu..._ she thought. _But I promised mom... well, this world's mom..._

Then a thought came to her. _Wait, it's not like this is the only location you can get Pikachu at. ...is it?_

"...ah, whatever," she eventually said and raised a hand. "Basil, let her go."

 _"Saur?"_ Basil voiced, confused, but not against it. After unwrapping its vines from the female rat, said Pokémon glared at Ignis, cautious and confused.

 _I mean, even if there isn't any other Pikachu in Kanto,_ Ignis thought, _I can always go to that new region one day... Aloha? Alola? Seems like there's Pikachu there after all, what with there being a trailer for Alolan Raichu._ She rolled her eyes. _Guess I'll take a bit longer, new mom._ "I'm not going to fight someone who's not into battling. Might as well as leave it be."

Basil tilted its head. _"Saur,"_ it said, and eventually trotted up to her.

 _"...pika pika,"_ the Pikachu said.

"Mmmn. Dunno what you're saying there, but you can deal with your frustration by yourself, after I'm gone," Ignis said. She turned around and made to leave, but then stopped. _I'm curious though._ She turned around once more, causing the Pikachu to put up its guard again. "Whoa, jeez, calm down. I just wanted to ask: what's with the hate?"

The Pikachu narrowed its eyes. _"Pika pi, pikacchu! Pika pika!"_

"..." The otherworlder turned to her Bulbasaur. "Um?"

Basil looked around, wondering how to convey to its Trainer. Then, it lifted a vine and pointed to the direction the two came from. _"Saur, saur. Bulbasaur."_

 _...people?_ Ignis rubbed her chin. _So let's say Pikachu hates people... something bad happened to it, I guess?_ She looked towards the direction of where she came from. _But it's not like I can do anything to lower that hate, unless I do something about this whole Pikachu hunt thing..._

 _Then again, both the people destroying the environment,_ and _them hunting for you, are pretty legitimate reasons to hate people._

The girl shut her eyes, frustration rising from having to use her thinking power.

 _I don't think I'd be able to stop this thing anyways,_ she said. _Not unless I somehow convince the dude holding the event..._

"...?" She frowned. _But wait. Who_ is _the dude anyways?_ she thought. _I don't remember this sort of event happening in the game, in the first place..._

 _What the hell kind of differences are there in this world, that I don't know about?_ she asked herself and looked back at the Pikachu. _...wait, back to Pikachu... bad people does bad things, she hates people now. Doesn't that sound a bit similar?_ The girl looked up and rubbed her chin again, racking through her head, before it clicked on her.

 _Cubone and Marowak._

In the game, at some point you reach Lavendar Town, the story shortly focuses on the Pokémon Tower, where Team Rocket has invaded it and held some character named Mr. Fuji hostage... or something like that. Amidst the story, the ghost of a Marowak haunted the place and cannot be passed without some item called the Silph Scope. The offspring of the Marowak ghost, in turn, harbored a deep grudge towards humankind for the murder of its mother...

...or was that only in that anime special Pokémon Origins? _Well, who cares. Close enough,_ she thought and sighed.

 _So it's... probably something like that, huh?_ The girl stared at the Pikachu again. _Probably._

"Then that means..." _That means that weird host of the event is probably..._ Ignis sighed. _I'm going to bet it's Team Rocket, or at least maybe someone related to them._

 _"Pikachu,"_ the Pikachu hissed, snapping her out of thought.

"Right, uh... hey, how do you feel about this PIkachu hunt thing?" Ignis asked.

The Pikachu tilted its head, before scowling at her. _"Pika pika."_

"Yeah, I think I know what you're saying," she replied. "I'd be pretty pissed too." Feeling like doing something with her hands, she reached for her Bulbasaur and petted its head, earning an affectionate purr from the reptilian. _Now if only you'd be this cute too. Oh well._ Ignis looked back at the Pikachu. "Hey, wanna help me with something?"

The Pikachu looked away. _"Chu."_

Ignis chuckled. "Now, c'mon. Don't be like that," she said. "This might be a great chance to get some revenge against some bad people," she said.

Slowly, the Pikachu turned back to her. _"...pika,"_ she said.

 _Just to make sure though..._ "Interested, huh? Don't get your hopes up though," the girl said, "they're just crazy lunatics in black clothes, with a giant R as their logo... something like this," she said and drew the R symbol into the ground with a stick.

Staring at it for a long while, the Pikachu looked up at her.

The expression said it all: _Just this once._

Ignis grinned. _Not cute at all, this one._

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv9)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv7)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv7)

 **Notes:**

|| I added in a lengthy pre-Viridian Forest scene, where they spend one last night in Pallet Town.

|| Don't worry. Blaine is not the father. There won't be any hints to solve the mystery though, it'll be revealed eventually.

|| In the previous rewrite I never did specify the Pikachu's gender, which led to me sticking to 'it' after forgetting, but I've originally always planned it to be female. Now I've included it thanks to easily noticeable gender differences.

|| After a lot of thinking, I decided to not have Ignis engage in a Pokémon battle with Pikachu. As someone who had recently been transferred to another world, I figured no one would rush their adventures and instead try to take it easy, so I wanted Ignis to settle on finding a new Pikachu later on rather than try to catch this one.

|| Initially I planned to rewrite the scene into Ignis VS Pikachu rather than Bulbasaur VS Pikachu. After looking online into the topic of whether Pikachu's electric would kill people, and the differing answers I was seeing on various sites, I decided to just not work that new plan after all.

|| I removed the references to owning a dog, and PETA. Honestly, it always felt forced to me.

|| I slowed down Terra's Pokémon's level progress. As of this point, despite her dreams to become a Pokémon Trainer, she represents one who greatly underestimates the effort required to be able to call oneself a Trainer. That's why, while being coerced into training sometimes, she currently won't progress as fast as the other two.


	5. ROCKET: Prize

**Rewritten: 02/09/2019.**

Confronting the shady competition, she has her first encounter with Team Rocket.

(Previous title: The Rocket Prize)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv9)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv7)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv7)

* * *

"Where are the Pikachu!?"

"It's no use, those electric rodents aren't showing up at all!"

"I need the rare Pokémon prize, come on!"

A certain pair of girls grimaced as they observed the other surrounding Trainers making a mess of the forest, complaining about the lack of Pikachu as if they had been completely blinded by the thought of winning this hunting event. Initially, after Ignis departed for the darker and more dangerous areas of the forest, the two went back to attempting to capture or even battling their target Caterpie or Weedle, but every single time they almost completed what they were assigned to by their friend, some asshole disturbs their space and causes the Bug-type targets to flee.

Now if it were up to the blonde, she'd have loved to use her sword for negotiations, but sadly, after some convincing from Terra, she decided to just wait it out until the event ends. Ignis was probably going to win anyways- they both had a feeling that the girl, ass weird as she was, would definitely end up in first place.

And of course, their predictions seemed to come true as they heard a familiar voice greet them.

"Hey," Ignis said as she stepped out from behind some bushes and trees. "How's the tasks going?"

"Ignis! / Ms. Ignis!" the two called, small smiles appearing on their faces.

Grinning, pointed to her shoulders, where a Pikachu was looking around without any hostile vibes. _"Pika,"_ the Pikachu said, almost as if greeting everyone.

Everyone, who, of course, were shocked. "L-look! A Pikachu!"

"Ffff-! Lucky ass..."

"Where'd she find the Pikachu!?"

"Whoa, I don't like this attention," Ignis groaned and fought the urge to cover herself instinctively.

"Ignis! You... you actually got one!" Terra exclaimed. "That's... well, it's not like I doubted you at all, but... wow!"

"Eh, well... I guess, kinda, yeah? Temporarily?"

Hana tilted her head. "What does that mean?"

"Means exactly what it sounds like," Ignis replied and headed towards the entrance of the shelter facing Viridian City, where the event's host had set up some sort of stage. "Hey, weirdo! I've got a Pikachu!"

"W-weirdo?" the host said, slightly taken aback. "I mean... mhm. Right! Very well done! Step up to the stage, please!"

The girl held herself from glaring at the man and did exactly that. _Man, I just remembered how much I hated being on stages._

The moment she stopped in front of him, he amplified her hatred for attention with a barrage of questions. "So, what's your name?"

 _Ugh._ "Ignis."

"Ignis! I see. How old are you?"

She raised an eyebrow. _Okay, this guy's officially a try hard._ "Um... just turned eighteen."

He whistled. "A recently turned adult! I see, I see. Impressive!"

 _What is?_ The girl, for once, exchanged a look with the Pikachu on her shoulders, who looked equally annoyed.

"Okay, then. So you've got yourself a Pikachu! Ain't that sweet!" he exclaimed. "Here, that makes you eligible for a prize! What do you want- money? Fame? A super, duper, extremely totally rare Pokémon? I bet it's money!"

Ignis blinked. _Wait, wouldn't anyone go for the super rare Pokémon in this case?_ she thought. "Um... right. I'll go for the su-"

"The money, right? The money? Money? Money money money?"

She blinked again. _...oooohhh._

The girl finally understood now, that this 'event' was definitely a fake. Supposedly, the host offers money, fame, and a rare Pokémon. However, as evidently seen by their interaction, the host isn't just suggesting the choice of money to her- it was the _only_ option that he could grant, probably. It's a common trick she often used as well, when trying to get someone to decide between several options: offer a genuine option she wouldn't mind accomplishing, and offering a bunch of random crap that seems too good to be true.

However, considering this was the world of Pokémon, 'a rare Pokémon' _isn't_ a choice that's too good to be true. No one would choose something else out of modesty and doubt.

Grinning, Ignis felt even better when the host saw her smile and paled. "I'll go for the rare Pokémon."

"O-oh. Oh, okay. I, I see." The host gulped.

"Oh, what's the matter?" the girl asked, tilting her head. "You're so pale. Are you okay? Feeling sick? Wanna take a break?" she asked. "Or... don't got any Pokémon?"

"No, no, no! It's fine! I have a rare Pokémon for you!" the man replied. He quickly turned around to hide his face, wondering just what to do in this situation. Eyes darting everywhere, eventually he remembered the weight on his belt, and he grinned. The man grabbed a random Pokéball off his belt and turned back to her. "Here! Here's the, uh, super duper rare Pokémon for you!" he said.

"..." Ignis shrugged and decided to play along. Accepting the Pokéball, she peered at the translucent red top of the device. The girl barely made out the figure of a Koffing look back at her, slightly worried what she could do to it. _Well, I mean... you don't find Koffing anywhere around here, so I guess it's rare?_ The girl looked up. "...this?"

Now the man seemed to worry again. "Y-yeah, that! Rare Pokémon, can't get any of them anywhere around here!"

 _Cheap ass._ Sighing, the girl attached the Pokéball to her belt and looked at the man. "...okay then."

"N-now if you would, that Pikachu..." the man said.

Ignis stared.

"...p-please?"

At this point, the crowd gathering around them were murmuring, confused. Terra and Hana went over to the girl, equally puzzled.

"Iggy, what're you waiting for?" Terra asked. "He gave you the prize, so..."

"...mm." The girl stepped forward to the man. "I'd like to ask you a few questions before I give you this Pikachu, though," she said.

Said host flinched. "U-uh, I mean, sure. Okay. Go ahead, ask away."

 _Well, now... eager, aren't we?_ Ignis rubbed her chin. "So supposedly, Pikachu have been attacking Trainers, left and right, I hear. Correct me if I'm wrong."

"T-that's right," the man replied.

Several people also seemed to agree with that.

"Yeah! Just the other day, I stepped on a Pikachu tail, and it shocked me back for no reason!" a random Bug Catcher yelled.

Ignis tried to ignore the hostility she felt coming from the Pikachu on her shoulder. _No, that was your fault, you dimwit,_ she wanted to reply. "And supposedly, they've been stealing food from the Poké Mart?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah, that's right," he said. "You can... you can go ask the Poké Mart of Viridian City or something."

"...mmhm." _Well, doesn't seem like anything I can use to out him._ Rubbing her chin, she looked around the crowd. Not seeing a certain face, she smiled at the man. "Well, guess I can ask Tammy about it later."

The host blinked. "U-uh, yeah. Yeah, you can ask.. T-Timmy, right? Yeah, you can ask Timmy later. He's sure to agree with me."

 _Ahhhah._ Several faces now seemed confused, but nobody pointed it out yet. Ignis sighed.

"Hm. Another question." She mentally braced herself before opening her mouth. " _Raid on city, knockout, evil tusks._ ...do you recognize this phrase?"

The man stared. "Raid on city... knockout... evil tusks?" he repeated. "I... no, no I don't...?"

 _Huh, must be a manga-only thing,_ Ignis thought. Evidently the man was starting to get impatient, as his right foot started tapping with speed.

The girl chuckled. "Okay, okay. One last question." She pointed to the huge, white, top hat that the host wore. "Would you take off that hat?"

Now _this_ request, this was the one that cornered him. He turned pale again and backed away. "H-huh!? W-why would I do that!?"

"Oh, no, no, I just feel uncomfortable around that hat," Ignis said. "It was just a request. It's not like I suspect your identity or anything, I'm just asking you to take it off, that's all," she said. _Oh wait, did I say that out loud? Oh crap._

But the man hadn't picked up on that one specific part, and instead looked around. _Is he hoping nobody out in these parts would recognize him?_

Finally, he sighed. "R-right. I suppose I can do that for you." He grabbed his hat. "...but after this, the Pikachu. Deal?"

"Whatever," Ignis said, motioning for him to hurry up. The man did as he was told to, removing his white top hat to reveal a familiar black beret. _What, no logo on the hat?_

"Now, the Pikachu," the man growled.

Sighing, Ignis motioned for the Pikachu to go to him. Said Electric-type rolled her eyes and hopped to the man's head.

He grinned. "Finally, I got my hands on a Pikachu..." He grabbed the Pikachu and brought her down to eye level, staring at her and examining all aspects of her. The pointy, black-tipped ears, the red cheek spots, the zigzagged tail, the heart-shaped tail tip, the... pissed off smirk on its face? The man blinked. "Huh?"

 _"Pika...cchuuuuuu!"_

A burst of electricity escaped the Pikachu as she yelled in rage, zapping the man with nothing but annoyance.

The man let out a scream as he was stuck in place, humorously scarring some of the crowd as silhouettes of a skeleton occasionally appeared. ...well, that actually didn't happen, but Ignis thought it'd be funny to pretend it did. Such was the joys of being aware of such tropes.

Eventually, he released the Pikachu, who scurried back to Ignis' side. "Hey, little buddy," the girl said.

 _"Pika,"_ the Pikachu scowled.

"Whoa, hold on, what's going on here?" Terra asked.

"She's scamming the host!" someone from the crowd yelled. To her grimace, this started the chanting of 'cheater! cheater!' that almost made her reconsider helping these idiots.

Hana frowned. "Ms. Ignis, what they're saying..."

"Oh, don't mind them. Someone go get, uh, the police... Officer Jenny. Someone go get Officer Jenny," she said.

Terra blinked. "W... what for?"

"This guy's..." Ignis paused. _Was Team Rocket ever a well-known group at the beginning?_ she wondered. _Hm. Maybe they're just starting._ "This guy's from the recent criminal organization Team Rocket."

Hana was taken aback. "W-what!?"

The man, recovering from his shock, was equally surprised. "H-how'd you...!?"

By this point, the chanting crowd had converted to shouting something about her being a liar, grating her nerves even more. Eventually, Ignis groaned. "God, shut up!" she said to the crowd. "Pikachu attacking you guys are obviously your fault for pissing it off! Also, like hell Pikachu steals from the Poké Mart- if it did that kind of thing, you guys would've already known about it, what with the place being deep in the city!" Then she pointed at the man. "This guy didn't even _know_ that woman who gets along with everyone, he's not from Viridian City!" Then she took out the Pokéball she received. "This Pokémon isn't even rare! It's a Koffing! You can get that... well, anywhere with pollution!"

"So you're not a liar?" a random Trainer asked.

"Go back to catching your bugs!" she yelled.

Immediately the crowd began dispersing, some running back to Viridian City, others scrambling around to resume their Bug-type hunt on hiatus. Few remained to watch the spectacle.

"Wow. You sound... pissed," Terra noted.

 _No shit._ Ignis petted the brunette, to her surprise. "At least you're not an idiot like them."

"Uh... thanks...?"

Turning back to the man, Ignis noticed that he had ripped his costume off completely, revealing a familiar black shirt with a big, fat 'R' plastered on the center. "Ah, thought so."

He scowled. "Well, even if I've been outed, all I need to do is get my hands on that Pikachu!"

"You literally just did that and got shocked," Ignis said. "Besides... you're not getting anywhere near her until you get through me."

"Oh, that is _it_ , you skank!" the man hissed. "You're going to regret this!" he yelled, predictably throwing some Pokéballs to the stage. There were two, and the following Pokémon that showed up- a familiar bat, and a familiar snake- was more than enough to confirm to Ignis the man's identity. "Zubat! Ekans! Get her!"

"Whoa!" Terra squeaked, running to hide behind Hana.

Ignis narrowed her eyes and threw a Pokéball out. "Basil! Grab them!"

 _"Saur!"_ her Bulbasaur said with a nod, stretching its vines out towards its new opponents. Its attempt to grab the two missed by a slight margin, giving the two notorious Pokémon a chance to slip past it. However, Basil quickly turned around and aimed for the two again. This time its vines wrapped around and kept a tight clutch on the two, earning some growls from them. _"Saur!"_

"Great job, Basil!"

The Rocket grunt gritted his teeth. "Bite it!" he said.

Twisting slightly, the duo of Zubat and Ekans bit their teeth into the wrapping vines, causing Basil to flinch and loosen up. This let the two go, both who turned to Basil and prepared to launch another attach.

"Get him!"

 _"Pika!"_ the Pikachu besides her yelled and jumped in between the two sides, releasing an electrical charge at the man's Zubat.

It screeched a short while before dropping to the floor, completely still. Meanwhile, the Ekans had already slithered close to the Pikachu, its maw wide open, until Basil slammed it away with its body. _"Saur!"_

 _"Pikapi!"_ the Pikachu replied.

Ignis smiled. _Well, at least she's on our side._ "Basil! Leech Seed!" she commanded. The Bulbasaur nodded and shot its seed out at the snake Pokémon. Once the seed embedded itself into the Poison-type's skin, small roots began sprouting from its body. Soon, the Poison-type was covered in a decent amount of roots and stems, its energy being drained slowly.

The man didn't seem to be willing to give up, however. "Ekans! Acid!"

 _Pft. Bulbasaur's also Poison-type, stupid,_ Ignis thought with a smug grin. The weakened Ekans brought its head back to prepare something in its mouth, then it spat towards her Grass-type starter. To her surprise, what it let out was bright, red liquid that resembled magma. The girl temporarily flinched as what she assumed was magma enveloped her Bulbasaur. "Basil!"

However, the Grass-type seemed to be fine, shaking it off with no trouble. It laughed cheerfully. _"Saur!"_

"Wh... huh." The girl blinked. _...right, it's acid, not magma..._ she thought. The girl shook her head. "Okay, okay. Never mind... we're done with the snake, so..." She looked towards the downed Zubat once more, but saw that it had disappeared. "Huh?"

"Ms. Ignis!" Hana called.

Ignis turned around instinctively to see the grunt's Zubat flying behind her, swooping down in her direction. _It wasn't down!?_ She brought her arms up to defend herself, taking a jump backwards. The Pikachu, however, leaped up onto her shoulder, then leaped off her, ramming directly into the Zubat. _Whoa, sweet jump._ "Thanks, buddy." The Pikachu rolled her eyes.

She turned back to make sure the Ekans was still down. As she had expected, however, Leech Seed obviously wasn't enough to defeat the snake, and it was slowly slithering towards them again, despite all the roots growing from its body. _"Kannnssssss!"_

"Vine Whip!" the girl quickly said, to which her Bulbasaur nodded and extended a vine towards the snake. It slammed down on the Poison-type hard, letting it bounce away a few times before it retracted back to the Grass-type.

"No, no, no!" the Rocket grunt yelled. "This isn't... that's not how this should've gone...!"

"I think we're done here," Ignis said. "Both your Pokémon are down. You should probably give up on whatever it is you came here to do."

By the looks of his face, however, he didn't want to stop. "Like hell I'd do that... I know, what about-" he said and reached for his belt, but paused. Then, he slowly looked up at her again, scowling. "Return my Koffing, you brat!"

She blinked. Reaching for her 'prize', she peered inside the Pokéball again. "Oh, this guy. Well... will you give up if I give the fella back?"

"Of course not!"

 _Yeah, no shit._ Ignis sighed and put the Pokéball back on her belt. "Yeah, no deal, sorry."

"Yeah, you definitely lost this round," Terra said despite not having really participated in the battle. "So beat it! Before my friend here makes you regret it!"

"Hey, now..." Ignis muttered. Before anything else could happen, however, the Rocket grunt suddenly laughed. "Wh... huh?"

"What, you think Pokémon are my only way of battling?" he asked. "You must be looking down on me, if you think I'd go down that easily!" Without any warning whatsoever, the man took off with his fists reeled in, determined to score some hits directly on the girl, "Take this! Dalton Fist!"

 _The what?_ Ignis took a step back in surprise, but narrowed her eyes. The man's fist almost hit her, but he was stopped and froze in place as vines were suddenly wrapped around him. She almost sighed with relief, but instead held it. "...good job, Basil," she said.

 _"Saur!"_ Basil chirped.

The man was exasperated. "W-what!? But you didn't even-"

"No trained Pokémon would just watch their Trainer get hurt," Ignis said. Then, hitting her fists together, she smiled wryly. "Now, then... it seems like we both speak the same language, doesn't it?"

He gulped. "N-now, hold on. Haven't the elders... t-taught you anything? Violence isn't the answer..."

"Oh, yeah, I know," Ignis said and grinned. "But some people pick wrong answers on purpose."

"...you are one terrible bi-"

...

Few minutes later, Ignis sighed dreamily as she looked around the small remaining crowd. "Now, wouldn't you say that's a job well done for me?"

"I dunno about you, but I think you're scary," Terra muttered. Everyone in the small crowd behind her agreed, nodding frantically.

The ravenette shrugged. "I don't see what you guys are all terrified of."

"...grhgph... gake..." the Rocket grunt, lying unconscious on the ground, groaned.

Ignis scratched her head. "Oh. Right. This guy."

Then, wondering what to do with him, she looked back up.

"Wait, how is Officer Jenny- or whoever's in charge- not even here yet?" she asked.

One of the crowd members blinked. "...maybe nobody actually went to get her..."

 _Are you kidding me?_ Ignis wanted to shout, but held it in instead. She looked back at the man she beat up, then groaned. "Fine, I"ll just... leave him here or something. One of you people here, go get her. Like, seriously." She then turned to Terra and Hana. "As for you two... we're heading deeper into the forest."

"We're going to _what!?_ " Terra yelled.

"Oh, uh, I meant, we're gonna keep moving on," Ignis said.

Hana sighed with relief. "I almost thought you wanted us to break through the safety boundaries," she said.

Laughing, Ignis pointed at the direction opposite of the safety shelter to Viridian City. "I want to hurry and get to Pewter City, and I still want you two to catch the Bug-types I told you two to catch, so let's do it while we head there."

"Pewter City, huh..." her brown haired friend said. "I hear they've got a museum there. We should hurry then!"

"Well sure," Ignis said, "but museums later, Pokémon first."

"Aw."

Hana looked around. "I fail to see any Pokémon around ever since the event has... oh!" She pointed to a direction, where she saw a Weedle slowly emerge from hiding again. "I found, uh, the Weeder!"

"Weedle."

"Weedle! Again!" With that, the blonde rushed off with her Charmander 'Emma', all excited once more.

Ignis watched as she got smaller in her sights, then glanced at Terra. "Now, if only you had her enthusiasm, Terra."

The professor's granddaughter sighed. "Oh, shut up, Iggy."

* * *

A man sat in his chair, chin resting against his right hand, gently scratching a feline Pokémon with his left.

As the door opened to reveal a less important-looking person saluting, he looked up.

"Sir, a report."

He sighed. "Go on."

"From an observer stationed in Viridian City, it seems like grunt member #49 has ran into, and most likely been defeated by, a group of unknown Trainers."

"Hm. Is that so?" He slowly made to get up, to which his feline Pokémon nimbly got off his lap, but then he muttered something and sat back down. "I see."

The reporting grunt blinked. "U-um..."

"Anything else to report?"

"N-no, sir."

Nodding, he waved for the grunt to leave. After the latter disappeared, he sighed as a presence appeared from behind.

"#49... the one who went to get the Pikachu, huh?"

"Mm."

"Is it really okay to abandon him? Aren't we in need of electricity?"

The man scoffed. "If you really did accomplish what you claimed to have done, blondie, then not anymore, I assume."

"Haha... well, you've got a point there."

The person behind him took out a Pokéball and glanced inside.

"Not like some stupid rat could beat this new Zapdos of mine."

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv12); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv7)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv7)

 **Notes:**

|| I reduced the number of Pikachu that works with Ignis during the confrontation to just one- the aggressive one. Three kinda seems like a Mary Sue -ish stretch now, if I think from the perspective of the mob characters in-universe.

|| With new plans, I've decided to temporarily add the Team Rocket's Koffing to Ignis' team. It'll leave after a while, but for now it'll stay as an accident.

|| Initially, the attack Acid is shown as green-yellow gunk. The latest depiction shows it as bright, glowing, red gunk. Obviously it kinda looks like... you know... magma.

|| I edited the unknown scene (obviously featuring Team Rocket's higher ups).

|| Also, I'm going to shift Hana's explanation of her family's relation to Team Rocket to next chapter's rewrite instead.


	6. The Pewter Museum of Science

**Rewritten: 11/09/2019.**

Ignis eventually makes it to Pewter City, and visits the museum there.

(Previous title: Pewter Museum of Scientific Reminders)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv12); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv7)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv7)

* * *

"Pokéball throw!"

A certain enthusiastic blonde yelled as she threw one such empty device towards her target. The ball flew straight towards the body of a slightly weakened Weedle, bouncing off lightly before red light rampantly shot out and converted it into data. Soon, the ball fell to the ground and lied there, shaking three times before remaining motionless. The girl who threw it broke into a huge smile.

"I- I did it!" she yelled.

Ignis scratched her head, observing from afar. "Seems like it." _Who the hell shouts that when throw a Pokéball?_ she asked inside her head. "Congrats, Hana."

"Ms. Ignis! I did it!" Hana yelled again, turning towards the otherworlder. "This is, this is the very first Pokémon that I've captured by myself!"

 _Well, you have Charmander..._ Ignis thought. _Oh, but it wasn't caught. Hm._ "Don't forget that you weakened it thanks to your Charmander's help," she said.

Blinking, the blonde looked to her Fire-type Pokémon who chirped happily, and nodded. "T-that's right, isn't it? Thank you, Emma. I am glad to have you on my team."

"Well, that's nice and all," Ignis then said and looked to another direction, where Terra was seated against a tree, petting her Squirtle, sighing. "On the other hand, you sure are lax."

"Hey, if anyone's to be questioned, it's the both of you!" Terra retorted. "I mean, like... these are _bugs!_ B-U-G-S!"

The blonde swordswoman tilted her head on confusion. "I'm not seeing any issue with that, Ms. Terra."

"Yeah, man. They're just bugs," Ignis added. "Treat them well, and they'll treat you well." _OF course, if this was the real world, I wouldn't hesitate to squash them right away..._

Terra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, see? You two are bug maniacs."

 _I'm not sure how to feel about that statement,_ the otherworlder thought. "Okay, whatever. You're the only one left who hasn't caught a single Pokémon after leaving Pallet Town. Are you going to catch a Caterpie or what?"

"...do I really have to?"

Now it was Ignis' turn to roll her eyes. "Just do it, Terra. You'll thank me later. Besides..." She grinned. "...you gotta... you know... catch a Catch-erpie! Am I right?"

As she smiled brightly, awaiting responses, the brunette simply raised an eyebrow and stared at her, unamused. "...really?"

"It's funny. Sort of. Maybe."

"It's deadass lame, that's what it was."

Ignis felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Hana with a forced reassuring expression. "I-it's alright, Ms. Ignis. I, um, I think it was... a rather nice joke."

The girl and Terra exchanged glances, before sighing. "Nah, no need to push it," they said, to which the blonde slowly nodded.

"I, uh, I see."

...

Almost an hour later, after navigating their way throughout the remainder of the forest, they were hanging around the exit shelter to Pewter City's direction. Ignis had persistently bugged (pun definitely intended) Terra to at least capture something so that her team wouldn't be a single Squirtle for the remainder of her life, and eventually the ponytailed girl caved in and searched for a wild Caterpie.

Of course, what ticked Ignis off was that her 'friend' was apparently so unwilling that she wasn't even going to weaken the Caterpie with a battle- she was just outright throwing (and wasting) Pokéballs at it, hoping it'd get captured.

By the time the bright blue sky above showed a small gradient of orange, indicating the approaching evening, a total of around seven or eight turned-useless Pokéballs were lying on the forest grounds, which Ignis had to pick up and stash within her bag, luckily holding enough space for them all.

The issue of Pokéballs no longer being functional temporarily made her wonder what to do with the now purposeless shells of the device, again cursing game mechanics for simply making them disappear upon a failed capture, but the girl supposed she would think more about that later.

Anyways, it was the eighth thrown Pokéball that finally kept the green Bug-type inside successfully, to Terra's (and, somehow, Ignis') delight. The girl ran over to pick it up and examined it proudly. "Well, well. My first Bug-type Pokémon!" Terra squealed.

"I thought you didn't like bugs," Ignis remarked, amused.

"I can tolerate them," her friend replied.

 _Not letting that one go,_ the ravenette thought with a grin. If Terra is anything like the anime Misty's insectophobia, she figured she might have lots of fun observing her reactions, whenever the time comes. "Alright then. Hana has caught a Weedle, Terra has caught a Caterpie, and I..." The girl paused and frowned. "...do not have a Pikachu. Oh, man."

"Whuh? Where'd the one you caught go?" Terra asked, only now realizing the Pikachu that Ignis supposedly 'caught' for the event hadn't been anywhere around them ever since they defeated the Team Rocket grunt earlier.

"Eh, actually... I didn't catch that one," Ignis said, to the surprise of the two. "It's kinda... really, really aggressive. Like, I'm not shitting you, I can't even properly weaken it with Basil," she said. "Ain't that right, lil' guy?"

Her Bulbasaur, who had been walking on all fours alongside her, chirped. _"Saur!"_

"Yikes. Psychopathic Pikachu much?" Terra said.

"Nah, it just kinda hates people. A lot. ...reasonably."

Hana brought a finger to her chin. "Hm. Then, if you have not captured that Pikachu... what about that rare Pokémon you supposedly received from the fraud event?"

"The prize Pokémon... oh yeah!" Ignis blinked and grabbed her second Pokéball on her belt. She peered inside- the Koffing inside peered back, still looking quite uneasy. "Oh, man. I can't believe I forgot all about this... do you girls think that Rocket guy is still back there where I left him?" Not that she cared much, but maybe it wouldn't hut to return his Pokémon, at least?

"Eh, doubt it," Terra said. "I'm sure someone must've gotten Officer Jenny involved by now."

"True. Then again, kinda to be expected, really," Ignis said. "Team Rocket, huh?"

"You say they're a recently started criminal organization?" Terra asked. "Man, maybe I should start reading news or random articles online. You always did love to do that, for some reason."

 _Huh, so the real Ignis really is kinda like me,_ Ignis thought. She recalled how often she opened her app to check Google News back in her world, even if she literally had skimmed through the app a mere few seconds ago. Smiling, she turned to Hana, only to notice the blonde's troubled look. "Hana?"

"O-oh, I'm sorry," the swordswoman said. "I was just... a bit lost in my thoughts. Do forgive me."

"What's biting your mind?" Terra asked.

Hana bit her lips. "It's... Team Rocket," she said.

"What, that crook's newbie syndicate? Nah, don't worry about that," Terra said with a chuckle. "Iggy here just destroyed one of their asses super easily. I bet she can do it again!"

"I feel like you're underestimating the troubles of Pokémon battling here..." Ignis muttered.

Hana then shook her head. "It's not that. It's... um, as you two have heard from me, I am from a family that works under the Silph Company." The other two nodded, signalling for her to continue. "You see, my father is part of a special branch of the company, a branch specially dedicated to researching the possibilities of space travel in order to one day extend humankind's reach to the stars above."

 _...hey, that phrasing..._ Ignis blinked. _Wait, is there a twist coming? I sense a twist coming. Is Hana... part of Team Rocket?_

"That special branch is known as... Team Rocket," she said.

The other two gasped, one a bit louder than the other. "What!? So you're a part of this newly started criminal syndicate!?" Terra exclaimed, backing away slightly.

"N-no, that is not the case!" Hana quickly said in defense. "The problem is... the problem is, Team Rocket was never meant to be a criminal syndicate!" Sighing, she looked down, biting her lips once more. "...my father and his coworkers... all they seek was a way to contact the mysteries within outer space..."

 _No, Team Rocket was never related to space,_ Ignis thought. _Her dad's probably lying to her, but that'd be a cruel thing to tell her now._ "...well, maybe it's a group using their name to ruin their reputation?" she suggested, suddenly feeling a bit eager to end the conversation.

"Y... yes, I believe that may be the case," Hana replied. "But it still makes me feel rather... uneasy, Like... like someone out there is intentionally targeting my family, or at least, my father."

"...no, well..." Ignis refreshed her mind. _If I remembered correctly... Giovanni wanted the Silph Scope and the Master Ball... for Mewtwo, right?_ She tilted her head. _Wait... wait, assuming it_ isn't _a copycat group, then wouldn't Giovanni technically be part of Silph Co.?_ The girl exhaled, tired. _Ah, whatever. Thinking about this hurts my head._ "...I'm sure there's nothing that vile going on," she reassured the blonde. "It's probably just that the branch is getting caught up in some petty revenge thing. Don't worry, if we meet anymore of those shady Rocket people, I'll beat them to a pulp for you."

"...that is not necessary, but..." Hana smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Ignis."

Grinning, Ignis instinctively petted the blonde. "Ah, you. Just call me Ignis." Then, turning around, she eyed the exit. "Well, anyways, since we're all done here... should we get going to Pewter?"

"Eh, sure," Terra eventually said. "Are you fine with not getting a Pikachu though?"

"I'll find one somewhere else later," Ignis said. _...at least, I hope there is one somewhere. Bulbapedia, where are you when I need you?_

Hana grabbed her second Pokéball and peered inside at her newly caught Weedle. "...by the way, are we not going to name the ones we've just caught?"

Ignis blinked. "Uh... I mean, it's actually not necessary to name them all, but... sure? If you want to? I just like naming them, I guess."

"I see. Then..." Smiling at her Bug-type's Pokéball, the blonde thought of a name. "I will call you Mel, then."

"Mel, huh?" Ignis chuckled. _A Weedle named Mel. Cute._ But then she remembered the final form of the Weedle evolutionary line. _A Beedrill named Mel... doesn't sound as cute._ She turned to Terra. "What about you and your new Caterpie, Bug Lover?"

"Oh, shove it," the brunette replied, rolling her eyes. "If it'll get you to stop teasing me about this... I'll go with Petal, then," she said. "When it becomes a Butterfree, the name's going to fit so well."

 _A Butterfree named Petal... doesn't sound too bad, yeah._

"So, Mel and Petal. Guess we're done with names, then," Ignis said. "Kinda lowkey glad you two aren't weird namers."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Terra asked, an eyebrow raised, but went ignored.

"Alrighty then. Who's ready for Pewter City?" the ravenette asked with a smile. Hearing no complaints, the girl turned around and raised her fist cheerfully. "Onward, my loyal companions!"

The other two exchanged glances, before trailing behind as they entered the exit shelter to Pewter City's direction.

 _Man, she's so excited, like a kid or something..._ Terra thought.

 _...Ms. Ignis is kinda adorable,_ Hana noted.

...

When they got to Pewter City, the first thing they did was visit the Pokémon Center, obviously. Although they had bought a decent supply of Potions before meeting Hana in Viridian City, most of the bottles they had already used up during their long adventure through the nearby forest. Although, with her experience in Pokémon battling, it was really just Hana's Charmander that often needed healing, due to her taking the otherworlder's advice to train within the forest.

Then again, it might also be that since you can't see HP bars in real life, Ignis wasn't sure how much to apply to wounds, and often used two bottles of Potion to heal Pokémon in one instance instead. She knew in her mind, or at least assumed to recall, that one bottle restored 20HP, but again, it's not like she could see that in her new reality.

The next relief for her was disposing of the empty, and now broken Pokéball shells. To her surprise, in one corner of the Pokémon Center, there's a small counter with another Pokémon Center staff (who wasn't Nurse Joy, surprisingly) accepting things like empty Potion containers or... those very Pokéball shells.

Apparently, those with her job were to accept used, empty shells of items from wandering Trainers, and send them back to the manufacturers to recycle the containers.

It was a trivial addition to the world's system, which Ignis found somewhat nice.

Nevertheless, after visiting the local Pokémon Center and healing their Pokémon, the group went to a nearby museum where certain historical artifacts and stuff could be found.

Now, she was never one to admire such things publicly, but Ignis always thought these sort of places were at the very least interesting enough to look around at. It wasn't everyday where you can find somewhere that showcases a huge elephant skull, or a giant train model, or some scientific things she never would understand anyways.

And now that she's in the Pokémon world... well, who knows?

"Alright! Fun museum time!" Ignis cheered as she headed towards the building's entrance. "Who's ready for learning?"

"I'm pretty sure we'll know most of the things in museums already, Iggy," Terra muttered. "I mean, hell, we're scientists. And we work with grandpa."

Ignis scoffed. "Don't underestimate museums, Terra. Or rather, don't overestimate my brain capacity. This place will definitely blow your mind, one way or another."

"...you're a weirdo sometimes, Ignis."

"Never mind that. Let's go!" Ignis said and entered the building. She looked around the room in awe, taking in the nostalgic sight of displays everywhere. The receptionist cleared her throat, getting her attention. "Oh, sorry. How much to get in?"

"$100 per adult, $50 per kids."

The otherworlder blinked. _Man, if I didn't know about Pokédollars being the currency, I'd have thought this was a hell of a scam._ She took out her wallet and pulled out a single bank note. The girl then looked back at Terra and Hana.

"Oh, uh, hey. I can pay for myself," Terra said.

"As can I," Hana added.

 _...nah._ Ignis rolled her eyes. "Nah, it's on me. Take your time," she said and pulled out two more sheets of $100 Pokédollar bank notes, handing all three over to the receptionist. Said person counted the sheets and nodded, signalling them to go ahead. "Weehoo. Let's check out what cool stuff they have here," she said.

"...no, really, it's just going to be a bunch of old stuff we already know," Terra muttered. Then, an exhibit caught her eye. "Holy hell! What the heck is that!?" she screamed and ran over to an area showcasing some sort of pterodactyl-like Pokémon. Ignis smiled, about to offer her own witty remark, when she recognized the figure being shown.

"Whoa! An Aerodactyl!" she exclaimed and joined her friend. As she looked the model up and down, she blinked. "...wait, this looks... a bit off..." she said.

Contrary to her beliefs, this Aerodactyl model looked rather... friendly, or rather, it looked more like a 3D model of a cartoon pterodactyl doodle.

Hana examined the metal plate inscribed with details. "Hm. It says here this Pokémon is extinct. This model seems to be a recreation of the possible appearance of the Pokémon, with data from collected fossils and such."

"...well, that's fine and all, I guess," Ignis said. _There is no way I'm going to support this place,_ she thought. They did her Aerodactyl evil! If she had to describe it, it's just... it's just stupid. The girl then looked sideways to see several fossils placed neatly in a glass case next to the model's area. "Oh, so these are the fossils, huh?"

Terra went over to look at it. "Seems like it. Although..." She read the plaque assigned to it. "...they've also placed these weird... stones, that they've discovered along with the fossils, together with the fossil itself. The heck?"

"I dunno, man, it's not like we don't know if the rocks are part of Aerodactyl," Ignis suggested. _But then again, I know the real Aerodactyl doesn't... wait._ She blinked. _Aerodactyl... has a Mega Evolution, doesn't it? ...does it?_ The girl looked up, trying to remember how it looked like. She hadn't really focused much on the Pokémon series somewhere after Pokémon Black and White, so she wasn't too kept up with all the Mega Evolution details from the following generation, with Pokémon X and Y.

However, in a mere few seconds, she dismissed that train of thought. _Obviously I didn't do enough research, so I can't remember shit about that._

"...well, if you say so," Terra eventually said. They heard Hana suddenly gasp, and looked at her. "What's the matter?

The blonde pointed to another exhibit. "Look! It's an ancient Pokémon recreation with sharp blades for hands!" she said.

Ignis followed her finger to see another crappy model of a fossil Pokémon, this time being something that sort of resembled a praying mantis. She exhaled slightly in recognition. "Oooh, a Kabutops."

Hana went over to read the plaques. "Yes, indeed. It is called a Kabutops... and, oh! It seems like it was transitioning from ocean life to land dwelling, before it went extinct!" The girl sighed dreamily to herself. "Ah, such fine blades they wield... it's a shame they're not here now..."

 _...um._ The ravenette nearby slowly glanced at the blonde, unsure what to think. _Blade fetish much? ...nah, no way._ She looked away. _I hope not._ Then she looked back at the 3D model recreation of Kabutops, or what looks like one.

"...god, it looks like a brown, adult Yoshi with scythe hands," she muttered, mentally pained.

"Scythe hands, huh?" Terra, meanwhile, wondered as she circled around the model. "Doesn't sound too convenient... wonder how it grabs stuff," she said.

"It's like knives," Ignis said. "It's really hard to pick things up with them, so you can just stab things instead. Easy solution to picking up stuff."

"...remind me to never let you near knives," the brunette replied.

"You're acting like I just said some sort of murderer logic," Ignis in return said. _Let's see what else they have here..._ Moving on from the Kabutops exhibit, she went over to look at what seemed like... a rocket model. "A rocket, huh? ...rockets. Heh. Team Rocket."

"Ooh, a rocket," Terra said as she joined the girl. "...not sure why they're showcasing this here, though. I mean, this place kinda seems like the place for fossils and old stuff."

"Well, I mean... it _is_ kinda historical," Ignis said. "In the history of mankind, we've managed to travel through space and reach the moon... it's not ancient history, but it's history, right?"

"I mean... yeah, I guess that makes sense."

 _So they've got a moon landing event in this world too, huh?_ Ignis rubbed her chin. "...what's the name of the guy who landed on the moon?" _Neil Armstrong._

Terra tilted her head. "Hmm... uh, I'm not sure I can remember that, but... something to do with strong legs, I think..."

 _...Armstrong and Legstrong?_ Ignis stifled a laugh. _Man, this world is priceless._

She looked back at the rocket again. _Still, the moon, huh... I'd like to go to the moon._ She wondered if she could remember any significant details from her old world, or at least, from the Pokémon fandom that she might remember. Then, she recalled a theory that once floated about online, regarding a secret or scrapped battle with the legendary Pokémon Deoxys, that can be initiated by boarding a rocket. _Man... that'd be really cool, indeed. And speaking of Deoxys..._

The girl then thought of the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes, having read spoilers that Deoxys becomes a Pokémon that can be encountered in the post-game story, the Delta Episode. _Man, I want my own Deoxys. ...man, I want Deoxys. ...man, I want a legendary Pokémon._

"Uh, Iggy?" Terra said. "You done staring at the rocket?"

"Huh? Uh... right, done indeed," Ignis said. _...I still want them all._ She walked to the next exhibit. "Hmm... beautiful shards believed to be from the moon."

Terra smiled. "Why these look beautiful! ...bet you we could make pretty necklaces out of these stuff! If we knew how to, that is."

Hana walked over to them and read the plaque. "Hmm... _'A meteorite that fell on Mt. Moon. It is thought to be a Moon Stone.'_ "

"..."

"..."

"..."

Ignis turned to face the entrance-slash-exit. "Guess we're done here."

"H-hey! Appreciate the beauty of the Moon Stone!" Terra said.

"I think it could use a bit more description, personally..." Hana said, forcing an interested smile.

"You two are just boring, that's what you are," the brunette huffed.

Ignis chuckled. "You're boring, that's what you are."

The three courteously bowed to the receptionist as they walked past, exiting the building. Then, looking around the town, they came up with some options: visit the Pokémon Center and tuck in for the day, visit the Poké Mart first to restock on their supplies, or... what else was there?

"By the way," Hana said, getting Ignis' attention. "May I inform you that this city has what is known as a Pokémon Gym? It is where the Gym Leader, Brock, an expert on Rock-type Pokémon, resides."

"Oh, that's right!" Ignis said. _How could I ever forget about that? A Pokémon journey means conquering the Gym Leaders around Kanto!_ She smiled and looked over to a building that looked more intimidating compared to other houses in the vicinity. "Brock is here! Yeah, I'm definitely going to challenge him to a battle!"

"So you're going to collect all the gym badges?" Terra asked.

"Of course! Who wouldn't?" Ignis said. "When you start out as a Pokémon Trainer, the obvious number one goal is to defeat the Elite Four and become Champion!"

Terra sighed. "Not that I'm going to judge you for that, but don't assume you'll beat everyone else first... not easy stuff."

"Others?" Ignis asked.

"...you didn't look this stuff up?" Terra asked. Confused, the ravenette stared at her, an eyebrow raised. "Huh, weird. Usually, you'd already know this stuff..." Sighing, she put a finger to her chin. "Hmm, okay, so it goes like this... every month, the Pokémon League holds a tournament in their respective regions. The date, uh, is announced on their site, you can look that stuff up later," she said.

"That's right, and strong Trainers from everywhere around the world often gather to pit themselves against each other," Hana added.

"Well, it's mostly just those who come here for the badges and those who happen to be in the region," Terra said. "Kanto's and Johto's cases are kinda... different, though, as we both kinda share the same Pokémon League."

 _...well, yeah, that's a given,_ Ignis thought. "So far, seems to make sense to me." _Although a tournament featuring various people... kinda like the anime, huh?_

"If you win the tournament, then you get to challenge the Elite Four, and finally, the Champion," Terra continued. "Of course, if you beat the Champion, it's not like you're obligated to _be_ the Champion... you can take either the official title, or the honorary title, of Champion."

"...meaning?"

"It means that one can become the official champion of the region, accepting all responsibilities and burdens of the title, restricting their schedules and movements, or remain an honorary champion and an ordinary trainer, who can freely roam around and travel to other regions with free will," Hana explained. "I hear there are actually a number of honorary champions in the past, compared to official champions, in the history of Kanto."

"Huh, that sounds... awesome," Ignis said. _Wonders, the world makes a system for this stuff. This is actually really fascinating._ The girl found herself smiling in expectation as she began to picture herself as the Pokémon Champion, with a team of powerful Pokémon. She quickly dismissed the daydreaming, knowing she'd need to put in great effort to reach that point.

Although, when we talk about champions... "...the current champion is a guy named Lance, right?"

"Lance? Hmm... no, I don't think so," Terra said.

 _...oh, right, FireRed LeafGreen era... the champion is Blue, isn't it?_ Ignis exhaled. _Or Green. Whatever, localization name. But if this world's B- uh, Gary, supposed to be Terra, I assume, then..._ "So who's the champion?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure, actually."

Hana raised a finger. "Last I heard, one of Kanto's Elite Fours had gone missing, along with the Champion themselves," she said. "I think it made the news for a while, but the mystery eventually died down. Currently, few are probably still investigating it."

"...so does that mean they'll be looking for replacements soon?" Ignis asked. "...assuming they, uh, don't find those missing two eventually."

"Probably," Terra said. "Although I figured they would've found replacements by now, what with them hosting the tournaments every month."

"I believe not yet," Hana said. "It's only been two or three weeks since they've gone missing..."

"Ah." _...you know what, I never paid attention much to it, but..._ Ignis took out her phone, or at least, the one belonging to this world's Ignis. _What day is it today?_

 _January 30, 2017._

 _Huh... kinda weird time to start this journey, or at least, if I had to say so myself,_ Ignis thought.

"...b-but anyways, back to the topic," Hana said. "I assume you'll be aiming for the Pokémon League, Ms. Ignis?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, of course," the girl replied. "If anything, I'll grab the number one spot and become the Champion!" Pausing, she remembered what she had been told. "...an honorary champion!"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll see how that goes," Terra said, slightly amused. "By the way, for this month, the tournament took place two days ago," she said. "I think for February, though, it's... uh, scheduled to be somewhere around the 25th, but like this month's, it might get moved a few days later."

"February 25th... well, we've only just started not long ago, so I'll scratch February off the priority," Ignis said. _Never did think about how long a journey actually lasts._ "Maybe I'll go for it in... April. That gives me around three months, doesn't it?"

"It would seem that way," Hana said with a nod.

"Okay, then. That settles it." Smiling, Ignis turned back to the gym of Pewter City. "Aaaaanyways... back to this. I'm going to beat the hell out of Brock! You girls in?"

"Eeeh, I'll watch," Terra said.

"I also am not sure whether I can take on such grandiose challenges yet," Hana said. "So... I believe I"ll also watch, with Ms. Terra."

Ignis shrugged. "Well, suit yourselves. Tonight... I mean, uh, this evening! I conquer the Rock-type Gym!" With a cheerful cry, she headed towards the gym.

"...man, she really does act like a really excited child recently," Terra muttered. "Ah well."

As the girl followed after, Hana blinked. _...I think that's really adorable, though._ Smiling herself, amused, the blonde soon walked after them.

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv12); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

 **Notes:**

|| As stated in the previous (rewritten) chapter, I'm shifted Hana's family relationship with Team Rocket to this chapter instead. Due to my negligence (incompetence), anyone who read this chapter before this rewrite has been posted might be a bit confused later when it gets brought up again. For that, I apologize.

|| Part of Team Rocket's anime motto, originally, was 'to extend our reach to the stars above'.

|| In the original rewrite, Terra was the more excited one about museums, and Hana wasn't too fascinated (except by the Kabutops exhibit), but in this rewritten rewrite, Terra wasn't initially too excited, while Hana is more into the visit.

|| The way the Pokémon League works varies between the games, and the anime and Pokémon Special manga. You can read more about that on Bulbapedia or whatever other site you prefer. The explanations in this chapter is how I'm going about for this series, and should not be taken as official details.

|| FireRed and LeafGreen were released on January 29, 2004. As of the current time in-universe, however, the original world has only recently released Pokémon Sun and Moon (as of this second rewrite), which would be around November 18, 2016, so rather than putting the time somewhere in 2004, I'm going to put it around two months after SM's release, which is at January 29, 2017, instead. Having already spent one night, the current time would be January 30, 2017, then.


	7. Liam, the Camper of Pewter Gym

**Rewritten: 18/09/2019.**

Ignis challenges the Pewter Gym, facing the NPC, Camper Liam.

(Previous title: Ignis VS Camper Liam)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv12); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

* * *

Ignis broke into the Rock-type gym eagerly, fueled with the determination to win. ...well, she didn't actually break into the place, but the girl noticed that she couldn't see anyone inside the gym at all, so it sort of gave her the impression that she wasn't supposed to be there at this time.

And to be fair, it was nearing night time, so she supposed if the place had a closing time, it'd make sense.

But... "Hello? Anyone here?" she called out.

Her voice echoed within the wide space, but she received no response.

"I... don't think anyone is here right now," Hana said.

"You think? This place is emptier than my stomach right now, and it's about to become equal if we don't finish this up fast," Terra said.

"...oh, right, we didn't have dinner yet," Ignis said and chuckled. "Whoopsies."

The brunette huffed. "I'm forgiving you just because that was kinda cute."

"Uh... thanks, I guess?" Nevertheless, since nobody seemed to be around, the girl turned back towards the entrance. "Well, either ways, guess there's no one here." As she took a step towards the exit, a presence suddenly made itself known, far away.

"Hold it right there!"

The three almost flinched, and slowly turned back to the other side of the gym's empty battlefield.

Suddenly, a figure was standing with their arms crossed, a figure they hadn't seen the few seconds prior. "That's right! You lot!" the figure shouted- a young boy's voice. "I see you've come to challenge Mr. Brock, the Rock-type expert and the Gym Leader of Pewter City! Well, too bad, for I-"

"Dude, what took you so long?" Ignis asked. "I thought nobody was here when I called for someone. And where did you even come from?" _This must be one of those gym NPCs..._

Suddenly finding himself questioned, the person jerked back. "I, uh... i-it's not my fault! We haven't been getting much visitors nowadays, so... you know?" He turned a bit red, before he cleared his throat and glared at them again. "A-anyways, I wasn't sleeping on the job. So, back to the topic- you're here to fight Mr. Brock, but I, Camper Liam the apprentice, must regretfully inform you that-"

"Dude, he totally slept on his job..." Terra whispered.

"Can't blame the guy, loneliness does bring sleepiness," Ignis replied. "But he's talking like some evil henchman for some reason..."

"I think he sounds a bit cool," Hana added. "But honestly, I do not see the need for it, and, well... I really would've preferred if he came out a bit earlier."

"I know, right?" Ignis said. "Might as well as stay hidden, jeez..."

The boy, Liam, turned red again. "H-hey! Stop talking amongst yourselves over there- I can hear you!" he huffed, before grabbing his Pokéballs. "God! You girls are annoying..."

"Haha, sorry. Didn't really mean no offense." Ignis grinned and grab her Pokéball as well. "Well, either ways, you're challenging me to a fight before I can face Brock, right?"

"That's Mr. Brock to you!" Liam yelled. "...a-and _you're_ the one challenging _me!_ "

Ignis blinked. "...same thing, no biggie. Now..." She paused, feeling slightly off. _Let's see... oh, I know._ She turned to Terra and swiftly took off the brunette's straw hat.

"H-huh?"

The otherworlder then put it on herself, and, grinning, turned her borrowed straw hat 'backwards' as she prepared to battle. (It still felt off because it was completely round anyways.) _...well, it kinda feels different, but the straw hat's good enough too, I guess._ She exhaled in satisfaction at her attempt at seeming cool. "Since you two are going to sit out and watch, stay a bit away. Sometimes, Pokémon battles get a bit intense or dangerous," she said.

"I- I see," Hana said. "I guess we should back away, then."

"Uh, yeah, sure," Terra said. The two walked to the nearby bench next to the entrance-slash-exit, taking their seats and looking on as Ignis threw her first Pokéball.

"Basil! I choose you!" Ignis said. Her Bulbasaur landed on all fours, chirping happily as it glanced at its trainer, and then at its opponent. _Boy, I think I should stop shouting that. It just sounds weird, now that I say it out loud._

"A Bulbasaur... Grass-type, huh?" the boy said, and smiled. "That's a smart choice, trainer. But I'll show you that type advantages don't always mean a thing! Geodude, go!"

The familiar-looking, sentient rock with a face made its first appearance for the girl's journey, said girl smiling upon seeing one of many iconic faces of the franchise.

 _"Geoduuude!"_ the Rock-type roared.

"Alright, it's Basil against your Geodude, then!" Ignis said, to which the boy nodded. "Don't regret it when my Bulbasaur _rocks_ your world!"

"..." Neither Camper Liam nor Terra knew how to react to this incredibly lame pun.

Hana, on the other hand, to the ravenette's delight, stifled a laugh. "Rock-type... rock his world..."

 _Oh god, no, she has a terrible sense of humor..._ Terra thought.

 _Oh wow, yes, she has a great sense of humor!_ Ignis thought.

"...right, I'll ignore that and get started," Liam said, unsure of what to say. "Prepare yourself! Geodude, Tackle!"

The Geodude nodded and began hopping towards the Grass-type, tensing its own body to increase impact. _"Duuude!"_

"Dodge it, Basil!" Ignis quickly said. Her Bulbasaur nodded and jumped back, away from the Rock Pokémon. "Grab it! Vine Whip!"

Basil nodded again and extended its vines, the tendrils soaring through the air towards its intended target.

"Grabthe vines!" Liam suddenly said.

 _Whuh?_ Ignis watched, surprised, as the boy's Geodude grabbed both vines easily with its huge hands. "What the..."

"It's not going to be that easy!" Liam said with a grin. "Pull him in and Tackle it!"

 _"Dude!"_ the Geodude said and did exactly just that. Basil found itself hurling towards the Rock-type, a slight wince on its face from its tentacles suddenly being tugged with tremendous force. The Rock Pokémon then slammed its body into the Grass-type's own, sending it hurdling back against the ground. _"Geoooodude!"_

"Basil! You okay?" Ignis called. Basil got up and nodded, growling at its opponent. "Okay, uh... Tackle it back!"

The reptilian rushed towards the sentient rock, returning the attack with the same technique. It, however, didn't manage to send the Geodude that far back, to which the latter simply smirked without much care. _"Saur..."_

"Hm... Vine Whip again!" the girl repeated. Trusting her without question, Basil extended its vines once more.

Liam scoffed. "Guess I'll have to show you again! Geodude!"

The Geodude nodded, knowing what to do. It grabbed the Bulbasaur's tendrils once more, and pulled the Grass-type towards it.

Ignis tensed. "Leech Seed!" she yelled.

"What!?"

Amidst the pull, as its body rotated enough to have its bulb facing the Rock-type, Basil grinned and mustered energy within to spit several seeds at its opponent. Startled, Geodude let go of the vines and yelped as the seeds embedded themselves into its body. As Basil landed behind the Geodude, everyone noticed small sprouts emerging from the Rock Pokémon's body, slowly growing into vines that kept it down.

"Time to finish this off, then!" Ignis said. "Basil! Vine Whip the stoner!"

 _"Saur!"_ The Bulbasaur used its vines to slap the Geodude away. Combined with the health-draining roots wrapped around it, and the force from the thick plant tentacles' slam, the Geodude found itself greatly weakened as it slammed into a wall. It grunted in pain, struggling to roll itself into its normal position.

Liam bit his lips. "Rip it off!" he said.

Geodude nodded and, with its huge fists, began pulling out the stems draining its health.

"Not if we finish you off!" Ignis replied, an expectant smile on her face. "End it here, Basil! Vine Whip!"

Once more, the Seed Pokémon launched its plant tendrils at the Rock-type, slamming it away again. This time, the Geodude immediately fell unconscious after smashing into another wall- the ravenette briefly wondered how the gym wasn't being damaged by a rock propelling into the walls, but she supposed it was just built that well.

Liam flinched as he watched his Pokémon fall to the ground, its eyes closed for the remainder of the battle. He sighed. "Oh, man... guess I underestimated you, trainer."

"You sure did!" Terra exclaimed from the bench, surprising both Ignis and Hana, the latter almost jumping away from besides her. "No one's going to beat Iggy that easily!"

"...I feel glad but kinda embarrassed," the otherworlder muttered. "But, uh, yeah! What she said!"

"Sheesh, talk about overconfidence," Liam remarked. ":Don't let it get to your head, trainer. Remember- I can still turn this around in an instant!"

 _No, but you're, like, the grunt member of the first gym in the game,_ Ignis wanted to say. She looked to Hana, who seemed like she wanted to say something. "What's up?"

"..." The blonde looked away, stifling another laugh. "Stoner... rock Pokémon..." she whispered.

 _Dude, this girl's hopeless,_ Terra thought.

 _Dude, that was almost a whole minute ago... I think,_ Ignis thought.

She turned back to Liam, albeit feeling just slightly happy about her absolutely terrible jokes being laughed upon. "Uh, alright. Bring on your next Pokémon!" As the boy reached for his next Pokéball, the girl wondered who her next opponent would be. _Is it Diglett? Is it Rhyhorn? Is it Phanpy!? ...no, wait, that's from the Johto region, isn't it? Maybe it's-_

"Sandshrew, it's your turn!"

 _...oh, riiiiight, the mole... hog... thing?_ Ignis blinked as the shrew-like Pokémon made its flashy entrance with several midair back flips- or rolls?- before landing on its feet. _"Sand!"_

"Hey, Basil's still ready to battle, and still a Grass-type!" the girl said as a reminder to her opponent.

"L-like I said, don't underestimate me just because my Pokémon are weak to Grass-type moves...!" Liam pointed a finger forward, determined. "Sandshrew, Defense Curl!"

 _Huh, a non-offensive move._ Ignis grinned, figuring her opponent had just wasted a turn- she was one of those people who loved going on the offensive from the get-go. "Free turn for me! Basil! Tackle!"

As Basil nodded and ran for the shrew-like creature, Liam suddenly returned the grin. "Sandshrew! Rollout!"

His Sandshrew rolled into a ball and began spinning, very much like a certain blue hedgehog she knew of from her world's media. Then, it charged for the opposing Bulbasaur.

The girl huffed. "Well, change my mind. Basil, dodge-"

Before she even finished, the Sandshrew struck Basil at an alarming speed, sending him sprawling across the ground. _"B-buulba...!"_

 _Holy shit, too fast!_ She blinked. "What the hell?"

"I told you not to underestimate!" Liam called, a proud smile on his face. "Rollout is a move that increases in power the longer a Pokémon rolls, but with the help of Defense Curl, they can pack more power, and roll even faster from the start!"

Ignis frowned. _I don't remember no nothing like that!_ "Gghhh... that's fine and dandy, but don't underestimate me either! Basil, we're going to try something new!"

 _"Saur!"_ Basil chirped back, managing to get up. It faced the Sandshrew once more, which, amidst its roll, turned around to aim for it again.

"Dodge it!" the girl said. This time, having adjusted to the opponent's speed, Basil managed to sidestep fast enough to avoid a devastating blow from Sandshrew's enhanced Rollout. "Alright, get your vines out!" Albeit confused, the Grass-type extended its vines out from under its bulb without question. It then looked over to Ignis, awaiting orders. "Ah, wait, don't look away- dodge again!"

Alarmed, Basil quickly looked back and instinctively jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding another hit from Sandshrew. _"Bulba!"_

"Great, now..." Ignis bit her lips, praying this would work. "Form a slide with your vines!"

Several eyes blinked at her.

"Huh?" Liam, Terra and Hana all stared.

 _"Saur?"_ Basil, similarly, looked to Ignis.

Ignis held herself from groaning. "Uh, um..." She half-predicted this would happen, but couldn't think of anything else fast enough in this situation. Then she recalled, during her second trip to Viridian City- before they had entered Viridian Forest, the trio took a short stop at a playground area to rest and let their Pokémon play around. "Right! Playground in Viridian City! The slides!"

Basil stared for a while, before recalling what it played on. _"Saur!"_ it said and, not questioning it any further, formed a makeshift slide with its two vines. When it turned back towards the incoming Sandshrew, its eyes widened in realization. _"Bulba!"_ Nodding, Basil poked the tip of its makeshift slide into the ground in front of it.

The rolling Sandshrew didn't even see nor expect what happened next to occur. It rolled up the tentacle slides and sent itself into the air, to the shock of everyone else. The sensation of the ground disappearing, even the Sandshrew itself was confused, and so it uncurled itself to jolt in surprise upon finding itself not on the ground, but in the air.

"Now!" Ignis said. "Grab it and Leech Seed!"

With a nod, Basil wrapped its vine around the Sandshrew's body and spat a seed at it. The seed embedded itself into the shrew and, similarly to what happened to its previous opponent, began growing into sprouts and vines across its body.

Liam grunted. "I, uh! Scratch! Scratch the vine, and the stuff!" he said.

Sandshrew, snapping out of its momentary panic, nodded and prepared its claws. _"S-shrew!"_

"Grab its arms and legs!" Ignis quickly added. Basil let go of the Sandshrew in time to avoid getting its vines scratched off, then quickly wrapped around its arms and legs before it could rid itself of Leech Seed's effects.

"Damn it!" Liam cursed.

Grinning, Ignis sent a look to her Grass-type. It smiled back, feeling it was about to receive one last order. Ignis then, after sighing with relief, turned to Liam. "Hey, Liam." The boy looked at her, hoping not to be mocked. "Two words to end this battle..." Raising her hand, she flashed a thumbs-down hand. "You're grounded."

As he (and Terra) deadpanned at this, (and Hana attempted to cover up her laugh), Basil understood right away and slammed his Pokémon-capturing tentacles down into the ground violently.

An explosion of dust enveloped the battlefield for a while, and as it slowly faded away, Ignis was met with the sight of her defeated opponent, and a cheerfully dancing Bulbasaur. "And that's my win," she said triumphantly.

...

"I still can't believe you did it!" Terra exclaimed, noticeably still excited. Even after the conclusion of her battle with Pewter Gym's NPC, Camper Liam, Ignis found it slightly odd that her (counterpart's) childhood friend would still be so giddy after a few minutes. Then again, she herself never did take the time to let excitement take over her for long, so maybe she was just unused to it.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't too hard, maybe?" she said with a chuckle. _But I mean, this is just the beginning battle..._ The girl stopped herself from sighing. _If this was a professional trainer anywhere near mid-game or end-game, I'd be dead._

Hana nodded. "I suppose someone like you, whose knowledge far surpasses what is normal for a beginning Trainer, wouldn't be defeated that easily," she said. "Especially not by a trainee, hm."

"N-now, now, he did pretty good too," Ignis said. _Or at least, I dunno anything about that stuff.. Maybe he did good?_

"Yeah, I can hear you girls, you know..." Liam stated from behind.

Terra and Hana jumped away from him. "O-oh, right, you were there! Haha!" Terra feigned a laugh.

Yep, Liam was following them to the Pokémon Center. It really wasn't anything big- turns out Brock wasn't available today as he was meeting up with someone, scheduled to return with guests tomorrow. That's why Ignis and the others decided to head to the Pokémon Center and... to the girl's surprise... stay at its inn feature.

The girl was surprised when she first heard about it (but of course, had to hide her surprise). Pokémon Centers also served as inns for traveling Trainers! That would explain the lack of need for proper rest and shelter in the games she'd played. And when she thought more about it, it sort of made sense, she supposed.

Anyways, Liam supposedly stayed at the Pokémon Center's inn as well, so he figured since nighttime was coming, he might as well as tag along on the way home.

"Right, sorry about that," Ignis said and rolled her eyes. As they entered the red roofed building, Liam went off on his own direction.

The three headed to the center counter, where Nurse Joy awaited. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center! How may I help you today?"

 _Wow, they really do look identical,_ Ignis thought, recalling the Nurse Joy she saw back in Viridian City. "Uh, I'd like to heal my Pokémon and... uh, rent a room for tonight?"

"Of course. First, please place your Pokémon and Pokéball over here."

A Chansey walked onto the scene with a stretcher, to which Basil hopped onto. Ignis grabbed her other Pokéball, about to place it. She then remembered what it was. _Huh, I just remembered... this Koffing from that Rocket guy..._ The girl peered inside, met again with the same worried expression the Koffing wore inside its ball. Unsure of what to do, she reluctantly placed the Pokéball onto the stretcher. _I'm sure it won't cause a fuss, not in the situation it's in. Must be terrified and confused, poor guy._

With a nod, the Normal-type Pokémon walked away with the Pokémon and Pokéball.

Nurse Joy then cleared her throat. "Alright, then. Next, renting a room. Will that be three separate rooms, or..."

"Eh, I'll take..." Ignis paused. _Wonder if they have a... nah, that's stretching it..._ "...do you have a room for three?"

"I don't think they'd have three," Terra said. "Two or four would make sense, but..."

"Well," Nurse Joy said, "we really only have beds for two, but it's actually pretty big, so I'm sure three wouldn't be a stretch," she said. "The room might be small though, but unless you have many things to unload..."

"Nah, I think that'll be fine," Ignis said. "Room for two, price of three, then."

Terra raised an eyebrow. "You sure about this?"

The otherworlder shrugged. "How bad could it get? Not like anyone here has terrible sleeping habits, right?" Turning back to the pink haired nurse, she took out her wallet. "Right, so..."

"$100 for adults, $50 for kids," Nurse Joy replied.

"We'll pay for our share," Terra and Hana both said before Ignis could pull out three sheets of $100.

"Uh, right."

After handing over the money, they received a key with a room number. Deciding to wait for her Pokémon, Ignis sent Hana and Terra to find their room while she waited.

"I shall do that, then," Hana said with a salute (which was beginning to feel kinda weird, but looked somewhat adorable at the same time). Terra reluctantly followed without much complaint.

As Ignis took a nearby seat, planning to get her thoughts together, the same Nurse Joy walked her direction and placed a tray of refreshments.

"Oh, I didn't..."

"No, it's fine," Nurse Joy said. "It's on me. You look tired."

The pink haired nurse took the seat adjacent to hers, and Ignis sighed, taking a glass of pure water. "Right. Thank you." The girl took a sip, then looked back at Nurse Joy, before noticing a nameplate on her chest. "...Carmen, huh?"

"Yup, that's me," the woman said with a smile. "Carmen Joy, forty-first Joy in the Kanto branch family," she greeted with a courteous bow.

 _Forty-first, holy shit,_ Ignis thought. "Well, nice to meet you, Carmen."

"Likewise, Ms. Ignis." Grabbing a drink for herself, the nurse took a sip as well.

Ignis rolled her eyes. "Is it fine for you to be off the counter?" she asked.

"Oh, it's fine," Carmen replied. "We don't get much visitors, and one of my sisters take over from time to time," she explained.

The girl looked back to the counter, and surely, there was another carbon copy of Nurse Joy behind the counter. Said copy noticed her and smiled.

"Huh. Another Nurse Joy." It'd be hilarious if this one also had the same name, so she had to ask. "Is she also a Carmen?"

"No, she's Sally," Carmen said, with an amused chuckle. "I can see why you'd think otherwise, though."

Of course, when you're met with identical women who exists not just in many cities, but in various _regions,_ it was natural to wonder if they ever ran out of names and have some of the same. Or maybe that wasn't a normal question people had, since she often only saw people wonder about how many Joys existed. Nevertheless, Ignis supposed it was her habit that led to her often wondering a bit deeper about things like these.

But now that she was on that topic... "So, how many Nurse Joys are out there?" she couldn't help asking.

Carmen smiled. "Hmm. Who knows? There are certainly many of us."

 _Way to not answer,_ Ignis thought. "I see, I see. But you're all part of one family, huh?" _After all, that's how it was in the anime._

"That's right. Our family, the Joy family, is quite well-known for being one of the iconic associates of the Pokémon Center business." Carmen laughed. "Of course, it's not like all of us want to work in the Pokémon Center, really. I, for one, actually wished to become a Trainer and challenge my way to the top. Not that that's going to happen anytime."

"Why not?" She couldn't help but wonder herself. Was there an unspoken rule of being part of the Joy family? ...and to an extension, was it the same in Officer Jenny's case?

The nurse scratched her head. "Hmm. I shouldn't be talking about it much, but whatever. It's a... family thing, I guess," she said. "Well, even if I say that, it's not a family rule or anything. More like... you know. Expectations, really."

"Ahhh." Ignis blinked. She somehow felt like she could relate... no, she recognized what the other girl was probably talking about. Parental expectations, something that some unfortunate children become subject to in certain circumstances. There are families where everyone is equal, and there are ones where the children at least receives freedom to choose their future.

Then there are those who are forcibly shaped up to become what their parents view as the ideal members of the family.

Of course, she understood that sort of thing well, her family from the original world having been quite pushy with their hopes and dreams for her. Not that she listened to them much, as the girl often acted in a rebellious manner. It was probably her being able to maintain a slightly better than 'decent' score and grade that kept those expectations stuck on her, however.

Eventually, the girl simply exhaled. "Ah, who cares about what the authorities want?" she said. "Just do what you want to do and stick to it."

"Hmhm. It's not that simple, really," Carmen replied. "If things were that easy, there'd be way less Nurse Joys in this world."

"Really? I think otherwise," Ignis said. "After all, for me, I guess I prefer to live by freedom no matter what others think of it." Taking another sip, she flashed a grin to the other, who returned it with a grin of her own. "So I say go for it. Becoming a Trainer, going against your family... I mean, there's plenty of other Joys who can take your place anyways, right?"

Carmen laughed. "I don't think that was a great way of phrasing it, but I guess you have a point there."

"Don't I always?" Finishing the remainder of her drink, Ignis put her cup back where it came from and grinned. "Hey, what if I promise to help you achieve your dreams one day? Just kidding, maybe." Another shared laugh.

The other woman simply smiled. "I'll be holding you onto those words, Ms. Ignis."

A second Nurse Joy walked up to them. "Your Pokémon has been healed completely."

True to her words, Basil trotted up to Ignis with a bright smile. _"Saur, saur!"_

And surprisingly, the Rocket grunt's Koffing was out of its Pokéball, and hesitantly floated to the girl. _"Koff..."_

Ignis stared at her starter Pokémon and her temporary teammate. "Welcome back, you two. How was it?"

Only Basil chirped in response, seemingly having had a good time. _"Saur!"_

The girl grinned, and turned back to her new Joy friend. "Well, I think I'll get going now. I don't want to keep the others waiting too long," she said. "You don't mind, do you, Nurse Joy?"

Carmen shook her head. "Oh, please, just call me Carmen. You better get going, indeed."

WIth a nod, Ignis got up and motioned for her Pokémon to follow. "C'mon, you two. Especially you, Koffing. I want to talk to you about something."

The Koffing blinked. _"Koffiiiiing...?"_

"Well, obviously it's about what you want to do after this," Ignis said.

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv13); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

 **Notes:**

|| Using Defense Curl before Rollout doubles the power. (Pointed out by reviewers.)

|| So far I've written Bulbasaur's speech as only 'saur'. I'm going to start putting in 'Bulba' too.

|| Originally, Carmen Joy is planned to play an important role much later. I wanted to introduce her properly earlier.

|| Carmen Joy and Sally Joy stems from 'Carmen Saliare', a fragment of archaic Latin.

|| Pikachu's 'scheming' scene removed, since I forgot about it in two chapters, and don't plan on using it anymore.


	8. The Wrongs in the World

**Rewritten: 23/09/2019.**

Ignis notices certain things off about the world, and discusses it with the mysterious titans.

(Previous title: An Unfortunate Time Gap)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv13); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

* * *

Before Ignis entered her shared room, she took out her Pokédex and stared at the Koffing following her. "Hm..." A suspicion formed inside her head, so she checked the device- surprisingly, yet confirming her thoughts, the entry for Koffing's species wasn't unlocked. "Guess it's not that advanced to automatically scan yet, but really, what did I expect?"

She turned to the Koffing and aimed the Pokédex at it, to which it stared at in confusion and, obviously, slight nervousness.

Soon, the Pokédex emitted a notification noise. _'Koffing entry unlocked. Register to your current team?'_

"Register... team? Huh, I didn't..." Ignis blinked again, quite confused. It would seem like she'd have to mess around with the Pokédex more and see what it can do.

The girl decided to pocket it for now, and entered the room. Inside, Hana was seated behind a desk, and Terra was- somehow, not surprisingly- bouncing on the rather large bed. "Oh! Iggy!" the brunette exclaimed upon noticing her.

Hana, hearing this, closed whatever book she was reading... or writing on? ...and, flustered, turned to the door. "O-oh! Welcome back, Ms. Ignis!"

 _What's that, a diary? Cute,_ Ignis thought. "What is uuuuup?"

"What took you so long?" Terra asked. "I was getting bored waiting for you."

"Didn't look like that to me," the ravenette replied, narrowing her eyes at the bed. _Are there any rooms below ours? ...does this bother them?_

"W-well, I suppose it was still a bit long though," Hana said. The girl, noticeably, pocketed what Ignis assumed to be a diary into her purse. "A-anyways, I assume this means your Pokémon has been healed, am I correct?"

Ignis nodded. "Yeah, it's done. Come on, Basil. ...also, I think I'll try to let this guy out for a while," she said and motioned to the Koffing, which remained behind the open door, staring inside with uncertainty.

"That's... the Rocket guy's Koffing, isn't it?" Terra said.

"Yep. I kinda felt bad about taking it away from the guy, and also kinda didn't want to keep it balled up for the rest of its time, so..."

"I... I see. I hope you're not making the wrong choice then," Hana said. "A Pokémon belonging to an identity-stealing crook... I'm not sure if I myself would be able to-"

"Hey, now," Ignis interrupted, "let's have a little faith in the dude. Remember, a Pokémon isn't always the same as its Trainer," she said.

Hana blinked. "I... I guess you're right. But even then-"

"A Pokémon isn't the same as its Trainer! Repeat after me!" Ignis said with a louder volume.

Instinctively, Hana got up and saluted. "A- a Pokémon isn't the same as its Trainer!"

 _Christ, she's adorable._ Ignis chuckled. "Anyways, I thought you two'd be sleeping by now." _Wait, I'm not Christian._

"Of course not, we've gotta leave the door unlocked for you," Terra said. "And now that you're here..." She ran over to the door and saw Koffing still outside. "Hey, come on in, little guy. We need to lock the room for safety, and we can't have you staying outside alone, can we?"

 _"Koffiiii..."_ Reluctantly, the Koffing floated into the room.

Ignis couldn't help but smile. She went over to a cabinet and pulled out a bowl, then pulled out a pack of something from her green jacket. The girl ripped the tip open and poured what seemed to be pet food/pellets into the bowl, and slid the bowl over to her Bulbasaur. "Eat up now, Basil. You must be hungry after doing so well today."

 _"Bulba!"_ the Grass-type chirped.

Grinning, Ignis pet the reptilian affectionately. _Gods, Pokémon are so fucking cute._ She then looked over to her temporary Koffing. "What're you waiting for? Come get some too. You must be quite hungry ever since, uh... this morning, maybe?"

Confused, the Koffing tilted its head (body?) and stared.

"Come on, you're kinda like a guest for now," Ignis said. "I'm not going to make you work for it yet."

Both her teammates blinked. _...yet?_

"Feel free to share with Basil and the others, really."

"O-oh, right," Hana said and pulled her Pokéballs. She released her Charmander and Weedle into the room, both of which began making excited noises and running around the room. "H-hey now, Emma, Mel. Please don't be too loud..."

"Hm, I might need some more bowls," Ignis muttered. She pulled out another bowl, and then looked at Terra. "...a third one shall do."

"Oh, mine too?" Terra said. "...oh yeah, we didn't really stop to feed our Pokémon, have we? Man, that should be, like, basic..." Sighing, the brunette let out her Squirtle and Caterpie. "Come on, Squirty, Petal. Get your fill of the food."

 _"Squirtle!"_

 _"Piiiii!"_

Ignis jolted a bit. "Oh yeah, I just remembered..." Sighing, she pulled out even more bowls. "Let's see... Caterpie and Weedle obviously eats leaves, I assume, so... man, they've really got everything here," she said as she revealed more packs, this time supposedly of huge leaves.

"Where're you even getting those packages from?" Terra asked. "...oh, wait, is that why you were taking a long time?"

"No, I told you, I was just waiting for Basil and Koffing," Ignis said. "But yeah, I was having a chat with Carmen."

"Carmen?" Hana asked.

"Uh, the Nurse Joy who attended to us. Her nameplate says 'Carmen Joy', so, yeah."

Terra frowned. "Hmmmm. That so... what were you talking about?" she asked.

Ignis grinned. "What, jealous?"

"N-no!"

Rolling her eyes, the ravenette continued pouring food for the group's Pokémon out onto bowls. "Eh, just stuff about the huge Joy family. You won't believe when I say this, but I kid you not. Supposedly she's the forty-first Joy in Kanto's Joy family."

"Holy hell, what? That's a big number you just dropped there."

"I know, right?" Ignis laughed. "Anyways, eat up, you guys." She took the chance to pet some of the others' Pokémon, all of which purred affectionately. Then, she got up and headed towards the bathroom. "You girls showered yet?"

"O-oh. We were thinking maybe we should let you go first," Hana explained, "since you've done so magnificently today."

 _D'aw. You two are sweet._ Ignis smiled. "Aw, you didn't really have to wait, but... sure, thanks. I'll just take a quick shower, and sleep afterwards. You two better not sleep before showering."

"We won't, we won't," Terra said.

* * *

Several minutes later, after completing her shower routine and heading off to the land of dreams, Ignis found herself surrounded by a familiar void of white.

Slowly, seven giant figures faded into existence.

 _"So..."_ a voice echoed. _"I see you're back again."_

"Seems like it," Ignis said, slightly amused by how convenient the timing was. _Either I won't get to dream normally, or I'm here because they wished for it or I wished for it._ She looked up at the most normal-seeming titan, the one labelled with the Roman numeral of V. _Probably me wanting to talk._ "How have you fellas been?"

 _"Oh, we're doing fine, we're doing fine,"_ **I** said, waving its hand nonchalantly. _"We're looking more into this world to see if there's anything that'd help us remember more stuff. Going quite well, humorously."_

"Really?" the girl asked. "What kinda stuff are you remembering?"

 _"Absolutely nothing!"_ **VII** answered. _"Now isn't that just hilarious!?"_

Both **I** and **VII** burst into laughter while the girl sighed. "Not sure what I was expecting, really."

 **V** cleared its throat. _"Meanwhile, we've also been looking over your journey. Hopefully that isn't too intrusive."_

"Hm. Well, I guess I wouldn't really mind it..." Ignis said and rubbed her chin. "...well, on second thoughts, it is a bit... weird... creepy, I guess."

 _"Ouch,"_ **III** said. _"That... that hurt, girl. Like, really, hurtful."_

 _"For feeling hurtful, you don't sound too offended,"_ **IV** said.

 **II** cleared its throat. _"You wouldn't be hurt at all if you were strong and powerful! Like me! Muscle power!"_

 _Seriously, what muscles?_ Ignis thought to herself. To be frank, if she had to describe the titans' physiques, they were basically... well... it was impossible to call them giant human beings, really. Oh, that's right! She remembered these online videos of short humorous skits called _asdfmovie_ , by someone called... TomScar? TomSka? Something like that. Yeah, the more she thought about it, these titans basically look like the simplistic human designs in those skits. ...minus the facial expressions and hair.

 _"I believe we have more important matters to discuss,"_ **V** suddenly spoke up, regaining her attention. _"I assume you've been thinking a lot about your situation, and making some observations. If you don't mind, would you care to share them in the off chance that they hold significance?"_

"Eh, sure," Ignis said. "Let's see... okay, well, I want to clear something up first. So according to you guys, there's this... prophecy, right?" she said. "A prophecy about someone to come and save Kanto?"

 **VI** nodded. _"A heroic tale, about someone who will save Kanto. That's what we all seem to recall, at least."_

"...does it specifically say that it's someone from another world?" Ignis asked.

 _"Hmm... I don't believe so,"_ **II** said. _"What we remember is quite vague, nothing that specific."_

 _Well, either ways, if we go by classic tropes, I'm definitely the 'hero' in question..._ the girl thought. "...well, guess that's one thing clear for me. Right, so I get that I'm pretty much this 'hero'- or heroine- who is supposed to save Kanto," she said. "And from the world I came from, the world of Pokémon is fiction. Pure, fiction."

 _"Yes, I believe you have told us that,"_ **IV** said with a confirming nod.

 _"Wait,"_ **III** said. _"I just thought of something... if our world is essentially fiction to you, which you can access... doesn't that mean you would know of whatever dangers that would obstruct you in our journey?"_ it said. _"What was it you said we were? A game? So then, you must know how to avoid all the hardships you would've faced!"_

 **VI** rubbed its chin. _"T-that is... a good point. Is this... is this an amazing discovery on our part...?"_

 _"Now, hold on! That's just cheating! No honor and pride in going around the difficulties in life at all!"_ **II** yelled. _"I object to that!"_

 _With your muscles?_ Ignis wanted to comment. Nevertheless... "Yeah, I actually thought about that too," she said. "But I don't think it'd go all that well for me."

 **V** perked. _"Why don't you believe so?"_

"...I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I'm pretty convinced though. Thing is, if I compare my current journey so far with what I know from my world's fiction," Ignis said, "there's a lot of... things that are out of place."

 _"How so?"_ **I** asked.

"Well, okay, I'll start with the small stuff," she said. "In my version, Pallet Town doesn't have that many people there, but here, there's way too many scientists involved there. Then, Hana and that blonde guy we saw, they also... shouldn't have existed." She then recalled her Viridian Forest experience. "Then there's the Team Rocket encounter. That...'s not supposed to happen until later, until Mt. Moon. And the lone clearing where I found all those Pikachu and that giant tree? Doesn't exist."

 **VII** tilted its head. _"Is not existing a thing your world likes to do?"_ it asked humorously.

"No, you guys' world is just weird," Ignis answered. "Anyways, other than those, there's also one major difference with my world..."

 _"That being?"_

"There's an eight year gap in between the two," she said. As expected, most of the titans' heads tilted in confusion. (She could only tell that they tilted thanks to the Roman numerals turning sideways.) "In most... no, almost all the games from my world, the player characters- or, uh, in this case, the one who is usually the savior of their region- are always ten years old," she explained. _And the anime's Ash Ketchum too, but that's his inability to age._ "Over here, I've discovered that rather than starting a Pokémon journey, the Ignis of this world opted to help Professor Oak with sciencey stuff, and stayed in Pallet Town for eight years," she said.

 _"Whoa, that's a long time,"_ **I** said. _"But... I mean, these differences aren't so big, are they? And, considering eight years have passed, and the crisis is only about to happen now, isn't everything fine?"_

"...eh, maybe," Ignis said. "I still haven't seen much of the world yet, but obviously some things I can't fully expect without being surprised. Also..." She rubbed her chin. "Supposedly, Team Rocket in this world is also a branch of the Silph Company, focused on pace travels. That's... not how it is in my world." The girl looked up, recalling Hana's explanation for her family's involvement with the innocent side of Team Rocket. "Now I don't know anything about company management or crap, but... it's possible Team Rocket might have a bigger influence than I can expect, in this world?"

 _"...I see. I assume that is all for now?"_ **V** asked, to which the girl nodded. _"Color me surprised. Most of your observations are trivial details, but to be able to recognize them all as odd differences and not dismiss them as mere coincidences... it isn't much, but it is quite impressive, I must say."_

"Ehh, that so? Thanks, I guess." Ignis herself wouldn't have considered it impressive, but honestly? She'll take whatever compliment she gets.

 _"B-but hey, so far, nothing too bad has happened yet,"_ **VI** said. _"So, I guess... I guess that means we don't have to be worried about anything."_

 _"That's only so far, though,"_ **III** said. _"But yes, I agree. No need for worries. For now."_

Ignis crossed her arms. "Well, okay, I'm done on my part. What have you guys done so far?" she asked. _Wait, I don't feel my shirt..._ she instinctively looked down and noticed that, one again, she was completely in the nude. The girl almost covered herself up before remembering the titans' lack of interest in her body- which, of course, made sense, once she thought about it. (She couldn't stop her cheeks from turning sliiiiiightly red, however.)

 _"Well... really not much progress, really,"_ **VII** said. _"We've been kinda conflicted about what exactly to look into. Of course, we wanted to start by trying to remember who the woman we feel like we know is, but I mean... not like we have any leads on that in the first place."_

 _"W-we did look into Pokémon with the power of dimensional travel though,"_ **VI** reassured. _"So far we haven't observed any instances of travelling through parallel worlds, of course, so... sorry..."_

"Uh, hey, it's fine," Ignis said. "No need to rush, man. Just take your time." _Six seems like someone lacking in confidence... huh._

 _"Alright, then... y-you too,"_ **VI** replied. _"Don't forget to, to eat properly and feed your Pokémon properly..."_

The girl chuckled. "Sure, sure. Anything else to note?" she asked the others.

 _"Hmm... not really,"_ **II** said. _"Sorry. There's not many leads we have on what to do."_

Ignis sighed. "Well, guess that's that. You guys are trying though, so it's fine, really." She tried to think of something to have them look into, since, assuming they wield mystical powers, they could probably safely look into various important things without consequences. The girl raised an eyebrow. "Say, do yu guys know of Arceus?"

 _"Arceus? Hm... that's the creator of the Pokémon world, right?"_ **IV** asked. _"Yeah, we know of it. Why?"_

"Do you think he... uh, it, might know something about my situation and yours?" she asked. "It supposedly created everything, after all, so... maybe it will be able to recover you guys' memories."

The titans exchanged glances. _"...hey, hey, that's actually not a bad idea!"_ **VI** said. _"Why haven't we thought about that?"_

 _"Never mine the fact that we're talking about contacting a God here,"_ **V** said, _"but we don't actually know for sure if it's even possible."_

"Oh yeah, I suppose that's... a fair point," Ignis said.

 _"...but we will attempt that in hopes of aiding your quest,"_ **V** eventually added. _"It's the least we can do, after all."_

The girl smiled. "Thanks, Five, everyone." The girl rubbed her chin once more. "Let's see, what else can we look into... hm... oh, can you investigate Team Rocket for me?" she eventually asked. "I know I'll learn more about them as I encounter more of them, but it'd be neat to know a bit more about how much they've changed from my world's Team Rocket."

 _"Space or criminal?"_

"Criminal side, please." Then, wondering if there was anything else to look into, Ignis eventually came up with nothing. "I guess that's all I have to ask. Seems like we're done here."

 _"It would seem like so,"_ **V** said. _"Unless there's anything else you'd like to discuss?"_

"Nah, I can't think of anything right now, so might as well as end it here," Ignis said with a grin. "I guess I'll wake up now, then. Or, uh, go back to dreams. Or however this works."

The other titans nodded, few waving. _"We hope you stay safe, Ignis. For the sake of Kanto."_

"Sure, sure. Y'all stay fine too." With a salute, Ignis faded away from the realm.

Few seconds passed by in silence, before one of the titans spoke up.

 _"Man, this is some weird stuff we're getting into, isn't it?"_ **I** said, the others nodding in unison.

 _"Indeed, One. Indeed it is,"_ **V** replied.

* * *

 _"xxxx! Time for breakfast!" a voice called._

 _The girl smiled from her seat. "Coming!" she yelled back. Quickly turning off her computer, she got up, pushed her chair under the desk, and headed down the stairs. In the room below, an elderly woman was gently placing several dishes of what seemed like amazingly cooked food onto the dining table. "Mmn. Smells good, mom."_

 _Her mother chuckled. "You think so? I'm a great cook, after all."_

 _"Sure you are. Isn't that right, Teatea?"_

 _"Poltea!" a Pokémon floating near them chirped, slightly sticking out of a floating teacup. Its mouth opened in a wide smile, unable to wait for the delicacy its owner makes._

 _The sight of her family and friend so happy made the girl feel even happier._

 _Eagerly, she plopped herself into a chair and readied her utensils._

 _Suddenly, someone knocked on their door._

 _Curious, she got up to open the door. In walked an elderly lady, standing with a cane, a cloak made of leaves on her back. "Um... good morning."_

 _"Greetings, child," the woman said. Her mouth then moved in a way that was obviously making a speech, but no words came out._

 _She blinked. What? She tried to listen again, but once more, she couldn't hear a thing._

 _Suddenly..._

Her eyes opened to the sight of a certain brunette's face, a short distance away. "..."

"...oooh, you woke up," Terra said.

Ignis blinked. "...what're you doing?" she asked.

Her friend grinned. "Just getting a close up glimpse of a cute face."

Not sure of what to say, the girl felt her cheeks heat up slightly. As Terra leaned away, Ignis grabbed her pillow. "Get outta here," she grumbled and tossed said soft pillow at the brunette's face. "Stupid."

"Heehee. T'was a cute face indeed," Terra said with a wink.

Ignis rolled her eyes and got off the bed, folding the sheets neatly and placing them back onto where she had just slept. Letting out a yawn, she trotted towards the restroom door. "Right... I'm going to take a shower, do my morning stuff. Where's Hana?"

The brunette glanced out the window. "Hm. Outside."

"That so?"

"Yeah. The other Pokémon are out there as well, playing around or staying with her."

"I see, I see." Ignis smiled. "Welp. This'll take a few minutes then. Why don't you go wait with her?"

Terra stared at the ravenette for a short while, before returning the smile. "Nah, I'll wait here for you."

 _What a sweetie._ "Suit yourself."

...

"Alright, Scooby Dooby gang! Guess what we're doing today!" Ignis exclaimed, fully energized after he shower routine. As they had left the Pokémon Center, the Nurse Joy she became acquainted with, Carmen, offered to serve breakfast for them. Of course, not for free, but it came with a nice discount.

 _What a nice girl,_ was what Ignis thought. But now that that's over with...

"The heck's a Scooby Dooby gang?" Terra muttered, deadpanning.

"Oh, don't mind it," the ravenette replied. "Anyways, today we're going back to the Pewter Gym. I'm going to challenge you-know-who to the ultimate battle!"

In contrast to the unamused Terra, Hana was enthusiastically clapping her hands- whether out of obligation or genuine admiration, nobody knew.

"I'm sure you will definitely win against the Gym Leader here, Ms. Ignis!" the blonde said.

Triumphantly, Ignis put a ahnd to her chin. "But of course. Then again, I shouldn't underestimate him either, right?"

"T-that's right! Even if I'm sure you're rather skilled with battling, it isn't wise to underestimate someone before the battle begins!" Hana said.

Ignis grinned. "That's right... so if I have to say, I guess we can all expect the battle with Brock to be not just hard... but rock hard!"

"..."

"..."

Both girls looked away, one sighing, another stifling a laugh. Ignis wasn't sure if she should feel ashamed or proud of herself for the utterly crappy joke she made, but she knew one thing at least- _this is hella fun!_ she thought. Laughing, she pointed towards the gym in the distance. "Aaaaand let's-a go!"

Following after her, Basil the Bulbasaur chirped. _"Bulbaaaa!"_

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv13); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

 **Notes:**

|| Recently I wondered what Arceus thinks about this. So I'll add small involvement with Arceus.

|| The titans were useless observers in the previous write. Now they're more useful.

|| Teatea, in Ignis' dream, is a Polteageist. Shout-out to coming games Sword & Shield. No significance to the story.

|| To incorporate 'levels' into the universe, it'll become numerical estimation of 'power'. Can be checked by skilled authorities (Pokémon Center staff, League staff, etc.) or those with special devices (Pokédex).


	9. Decisive Battle: Rock-Solid Brock

**Rewritten: 25/09/2019.**

Ignis finally challenges the Gym Leader of Pewter City.

(Previous title: Brock-Solid Battle)

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv13); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

* * *

Once more, Ignis pushed open the doors to Pewter City's Gym. "Guess who's back, bitches!"

What returned her greeting was... emptiness.

The trio blinked as they took in the familiar sight of nothingness yet again. "...I think we're missing some people here," Terra muttered.

"Are you kidding me? I thought Liam said Brock would be back by today!" Ignis said.

"Perhaps he went on a walk?" Hana suggested.

"A walk, huh?" The ravenette rubbed her chin. _The man with the best lines, going for a walk... well, that's acceptable._ Admiring the imagery of the Rock-type expert's eyes for no longer than a second, she took some steps forward. "Helloooooo? Anybody here? Liam?" Her voice echoed. "...camper dude I obliterated yesterday?"

"Huh. I think I see a door there," Terra said and pointed to a wall on the other side of the gym. "Think we should check?"

"That'd be sticking our noses where we don't belong," Hana said. "I feel it is wiser to simply wait here."

Meanwhile, Ignis was still calling out to... nothing, albeit with hope. "Brock? Brocky? Broccoli? ...Brrrrock Obama?"

The door suddenly opened as a familiar camper trotted out. "Okay, okay, you can stop shouting random made up names now," Liam groaned. "Jeez, you are loud."

"Hey, when you're in a huge, empty place, you try resisting the urge to shout," Ignis said.

"That's what kids do," Terra said.

"I'm not the one bouncing on beds yesterday."

"I- I wasn't doing that at all!" the brunette denied.

Ignis scoffed. "Oh, really? Fact check! Hana!"

Said blonde saluted, by pure instinct. "Yes ma'am!"

"..." The otherworlder stared at Hana, having slightly expected that reaction yet feeling surprised. _Man, she's like those serious combat characters,_ she thought. _...cute._ "Well, anyways, that's that. Anyways... Liiiiaaaam, where's Brooooock?"

Liam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, hold on, jeez. He's in the back, having a discussion with some guests. Remember?"

"Oh yeah," Terra said, recalling what the boy had told the trio earlier the previous day. "He did say that Brock was bringing some guests over."

"That's Mr. Brock to you!" Liam hissed. "Anyways, if you girls can't sit still, then I'll go call him for you, sheesh..."

"Wait, let us go with you!" Terra said. "I wanna see your secret base!"

Ignis snorted. "And she says I'm a kid."

"Secret bases are cool and mature!"

Liam sighed. "Stop arguing and follow me."

 _Wasn't arguing, but huh._ Ignis followed after the boy, as the others followed after her, and they walked past the open door. The corridor consisted of rocky walls, and nothing else worthy of noting, except for the other door at the end of the... 'hallway'. "Huh, so he's in there?"

"That's right," Liam said, "and he's busy. But for the sake of you girls, we're going to interrupt his meeting."

"...do I smell sarcasm?" Ignis asked. "Or satire? Or spite? Or-"

"Why would you _smell_ sarcasm?" Terra asked.

 _Because smell ya later?_ the otherworlder held herself from saying.

Hana chuckled. "Ms. Ignis, you are quite an odd person."

 _Should I be offended?_ She decided not to be offended, if that made any sense.

Liam, having grown accustomed to their random conversations, ignored them and knocked on the door. "Mr. Brock, sir! The challengers have arrived!"

"The challengers from yesterday?" a man's voice asked from behind the door. "Is it Ignis and Terra?"

"That's right! ...I think that's their names!" Liam replied.

Ignis found herself speechless. _Wait, he knows us?_ The girl instinctively straightened herself as the door opened to reveal a familiar face staring back with a smile. To her (slight) disappointment, Brock's eyes were visible and not cartoonish lines, although she supposed that was to be expected. "H-hello!" the girl greeted.

Brock grinned. "Ah, what're you being all polite for? Ignis, it's good to see you again!"

"Uhhh, yeah! Good to see you too!" Ignis replied. _Seriously? This Ignis girl knew Brock?_ The girl had to wonder how that even came to be. _Wait, would this mean she also knows the other Gym Leaders? ...it can't be, right?_

"Hey! I'm here too!" Terra said, pouting.

"Yeah! And you too!" Brock said, then stared at Terra.

The brunette deadpanned, unamused. "You're kidding me. You forgot who I am?"

"I'm just messing with you," Brock laughed. "Terra! Good to see you again as well!"

"Ohmygosh, you remember!"

Hana blinked. "I mean, he did say your name earlier when Mr. Liam knocked on the door..."

"Oh, and who might this be?" Brock asked.

The blonde lowered her head. "Greetings. I am Hana Kanazawa, hailing from Saffron City. I am currently on a journey of raising my own team of Pokémon, with the assistance of Ms. Ignis and Ms. Terra."

"My, she's polite," a voice said from deeper within the room, amused.

 _...who's that?_ Ignis wondered. _I don't remember there being a female Trainer in Brock's gym... was there?_ She leaned sideways on her tiptoes to get a better lock, but Brock was standing perfectly in the middle of the open door's frame, so she couldn't really see past him.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and then Brock was gently pushed sideways. "Let me get a look too!" a girl said.

Ignis blinked as she was now face to face with a girl who seemed really familiar, for some reason. Large, pink ribbons behind her head, two waist-length, curly twin tails, a suit resembling both a business suit and a student uniform, pink stockings. Beautiful, red eyes, and a stunningly adorable face that gave the impression of a serious or hardworking person. Her face slowly turned hot pink as she recognized this new girl. "Y-you're- you're Roxanne!" the otherworlder squeaked, her mind temporarily breaking down.

"That's right! Roxanne is here, at your service!" the Rock-type expert from Hoenn said, doing a small twirl. "If there's anything you ever need help with, I shall be there to help you learn!" Then she did a small wink, which Ignis swore almost made her heart explode.

"Roxanne? Name sounds familiar..." Terra said, putting a finger to her chin.

"S-she's from Hoenn," Ignis replied, slowly regaining her control. "She's, uh..."

"Yeah, I'm an expert on Rock-type Pokémon, from Hoenn," Roxanne said. "Although I'm actually kinda surprised you'd know me, um... Ignis? Am I getting that correct?"

The ravenette nodded. "Y-yeah, Ignis. That's me." _Can't believe it... Roxanne's in Kanto!_ She almost broke into a smile, but cleared her throat to calm herself even more. "R-right, um. So... what're you doing here, in Kanto?"

Roxanne laughed. "Oh, just discussing some Rock stuff with Brock and Roark."

 _Roark? That's another familiar name..._ Ignis blinked. Feeling she wanted to get another look, Roxanne stepped aside for the girl to see another man seated inside the room, scratching his head.

The man, again a familiar sight, waved his hand. "Hey there, uh, Brock's friend," he said. Cordovan hair, a mining hat, and construction site attire. Ignis wasn't a fan of this character, but having been been a huge Pokémon nerd way before the fourth generation games, she had already memorized who this was. "I'm-"

"Roark from Sinnoh!" Ignis interrupted. _Holy shit! What are these two even doing here!?_

"...uh, wow, she knows me as well," Roark said. "That's... a shocker."

"Yeah, gotta say the same," Roxanne said with a nod.

Brock chuckled. "Well, that's Ignis for you. Always surprising people with her mind."

Finally noticing what they had said, Ignis tilted her head. "Wait, why is that so surprising?" _I mean, is it really that surprising to know the Gym Leaders of another region?_ she wondered. It wasn't like she explicitly described their personal details or anything.

The Hoenn Gym Leader chuckled. "Oh, just that we're not really that famous."

"...I assumed you two were quite famous, considering Ms. Ignis' reaction," Hana said.

"Oh, no, we're just your average Rock-type lovers," Roxanne said. "Heck, we're not as big as this big shot Brock over here. He's a Gym Leader, for heaven's sake!" she said, laughing, while the man in question scratched his head.

 _So are you two!_ Ignis thought.

Roark sighed. "Yeah, compared to him, I'm just the son of a Gym Leader, and Roxanne's just a well-known teacher on rocks and Rock-type Pokémon," he muttered.

...that wasn't right. Ignis thought right away that what the Sinnoh Gym Leader had just said was slightly- no, completely off with what she knew from her world. "You're not Gym Leaders yet?" she asked.

"Uh, no, we're not Gym Leaders... at all," Roark said. _What's the 'yet' for?_ "Though I guess I can see how someone might know Roxanne, but I'm on a different case... huh, guess you're a huge fan of my father, to know me, his family, as well?"

 _...who?_ Ignis quickly refreshed her mind. _Right, his father... that's the Steel-type guy, right? Is that... Brian? Bryon? Uh..._ She scratched her head. "Uh... right. Probably, yeah. Brian, right?"

"That's Mr. Byron," Roxanne corrected, amused. "But hey, isn't that nice, Roark? She knows your name better than your father's. Maybe she's a fan of yours."

"Nah, that's impossible," Roark laughed. Then he stared at Ignis. "...no way, right?"

"Yeah, sorry, not really," Ignis said.

"Told ya, Roxanne. ...that hurt though."

"As for me," Roxanne said, "I actually have plans to become a Gym Leader soon. Just... not yet, I guess?" She laughed, patting Ignis on the back. "But hey, when I finally qualify to become a new Gym Leader for Hoenn, I'll let you be the first to know in Kanto!"

"T-that'd be great!" Ignis said. _Is this the start of a friendship!? Hell yeah!_

"Hey, now, let's not forget why you girls are here," Brock intervened, chuckling to himself. He went over to a drawer and pulled a tab open. "Let's see... I assume this is the first Gym you're challenging, Ignis?"

The ravenette blinked. "Uh, yeah. That's right."

"We were thinking of travelling around Kanto and challenging every Gyms on the way," Hana said. "...I mean, Ms. Ignis here is going to be doing that. It just so happens that Pewter City is first."

"Yeah, that's fine, no worries," Brock said. "Let's see... should I start with two Pokémon or three, as a bonus...?"

Ignis frowned. "Wait, I thought you had only two Pokémon?" she asked.

"Nah, I have my own team and plenty others I've caught," Brock replied. "Of course, it wouldn't be fair to sic 'em on beginning Trainers, you know what I'm saying?"

"Ah.. yeah, I guess so." _Yeah, there's no way I'd be able to defeat some level forty or sixty Onix or Steelix or Golem or whatever,_ Ignis thought. The idea of even going up against that sort of challenge made her shudder.

"That's why, depending on how much progress a challenger has made," Brock said, "we Gym Leaders pick appropriate Pokémon to rely on instead. In this case... I'll use a Geodude and an Onix. You know who those two are?"

"Of course!" Terra said, proudly. "We wouldn't be scientists if we didn't know such basic things!"

 _Not sure how to feel about her calling my Pokémon basic, but sure,_ Brock thought. "Good. Guess we better get going, less you want to stand around and talk more with my guests," he said.

"Aw, c'mon, we don't mind one bit," Roxanne said, laughing. "Right, Roark?"

"Don't bring me into this..."

But regardless, Ignis nodded. "Yeah, I want to get this over with quick. Can't wait to beat you and get my first badge!" she said.

"Don't assume you'd win already," Brock sighed. "Liam, lead them back to the battlefield. Roxanne, Roark, want to come and watch?"

"Yeah, why not?" Roxanne said. "Might be an interesting battle. I mean, you did say she was Professor Oak's granddaughter."

"No, that's Terra," Brock said. "Ignis is, uh... just her friend from the same Pallet Town. She's Violet's daughter, if that tells you anything."

"Violet, huh?" Roxanne rubbed her chin. "...ooh, I think you've told us about her before..."

"Yeah, whatever, just get to your battle," Roark mumbled. "I'm getting a bit sleepy, so we should probably get this over with soon..."

Brock rolled his eyes. "It's, like, morning, but whatever you say, Roark."

...

Back at the Gym's stage, Ignis took her position at one side, while Brock stood opposite of her. "Alright! It's time to lose to me! Ready for this, Brock?"

Brock grinned, finding her confidence rather admirable yet humorous. "We'll see who's going to lose, Ignis."

From afar, Terra, Hana, Liam, Roxanne and Roark sat together, observing from the audiences' seats.

"Man, this is so exciting!" Terra said. "I can't wait to see Ignis beat the crap outta Brock!"

"I-it's not like we know she's going to win, yet," Hana said. "But... but I guess something tells me Ms. Ignis will win this match as well."

"Of course she will!" the brunette said. "The Iggy I know is an expert in everything! Hell, it's her who mainly lead us in most of our researches back at Pallet Town... she might not be that smart as a scientist herself, but most of the research we do all started from her ideas and questions, you know?"

"Is that so?" Roxanne said. "I can't imagine what sort of wonderful things you and that girl have researched over the years... mind telling me some neat things?" she asked.

Roark's groan interrupted them. "You can save this stuff for later, can't you? Come on, Roxanne..."

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry, focus on the fight, right." Roxanne looked over to the battlefield, where both Ignis and Brock were staring at them, supposedly having heard their loud voices. "Sorry for being loud! You can start now!"

Ignis blinked. "Huh, and here I thought she was supposed to be, like, the mediator of our battle or something."

"Oh, Pokémon battles don't actually require a referee," Brock said. "It's just used in normal cases when involved Trainers aren't confident about certain things. It's optional, really." He pointed to himself. "In most cases, official battles can be mediated by reliable authorities like me," he explained.

"Reliable... right." Ignis snickered as Brock rolled his eyes. "Well, either ways... Basil! I choo... I mean, let's start with you!" Throwing both Pokéballs upwards, her Bulbasaur appeared in red flash and landed on all fours, chirping and ready for battle. Her other, temporary Pokémon, Koffing, floated down to eye level and looked around. "Right, Koffing, listen."

 _"Koffi?"_

The ravenette made to pet the Poison-type, but stopped upon wondering whether its toxic fumes would do anything to her. "Uh, right. So, I'm not going to force you to battle or anything. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to," she said, to which the Koffing hesitantly nodded at. "But I want you to decide- uh, not now, but soon, maybe?- what you want to do from here. It'd be nice if you can officially join the team and be friends with Basil, which, I'd be glad to train you too, then."

 _"Koffi..."_ the Koffing muttered, looking down.

Ignis smiled. "Hey, it's alright, buddy. For now, I just wanted you to watch Basil fight and decide what to do. That fine?"

Slowly, the Koffing nodded.

Grinning, Ignis turned back to Basil, both sharing a nod, then both turned to Brock. "Alright, we're ready now!"

 _"Bulba! Saur!"_ Basil yelled.

Brock scratched his head. "Alright, then. Prepare for your first opponent! Geodude, you're up!"

 _"Duuuuuude!"_ a familiar Rock-type Pokémon cried as it spread its huge hands.

"As a freebie, I'll let you go first," the Rock-type expert said. "Ladies first, after all."

"Eh, sure, why not?" Ignis muttered. _More like, winners first. Wooo, applause, someone, anyone._ "Basil! Leech Seed!"

"Crush the seeds!" Brock yelled.

Basil nodded and hopped off its hind legs, aiming its bulb at the Rock-type Pokémon and swiftly shooting a small number of seeds at its opponent. Similarly, the Geodude nodded, and swung its hands forward, grabbing and immediately crushing some of the seeds shot at it, but two were missed and embedded themselves into the Pokémon.

Ignis watched with a grin as vines and sprouts began growing out of the Rock Pokémon's body. "Great! Now use Vine Whip!"

Two vines stretched out from the Bulbasaur's back and dove towards the Geodude.

Brock pointed at his opponent's Pokémon. "Pull it in and Tackle!"

The Geodude nodded and, somehow ignoring the health-draining sprouts on its body, it grabbed the attacking vines and pulled Basil towards it with force. Then, as the Bulbasaur found itself once again flying through the air towards its enemy, the Geodude roughly tackled the Grass-type with its hard body, sending the reptilian spiraling across the ground. _"Geodddduuuude!"_ it roared victoriously.

"Ain't nothing over yet!" Ignis retorted to the sentient rock. "Poison Powder Leech Seed!"

 _"Saur!"_ Basil re-aimed its bulb at the Geodude once more, this time spurting out more seeds supposedly boosted by mysterious clouds of purple.

 _...Poison Powder?_ Confused, Brock shrugged it off and watched as his Geodude instinctively grabbed and crushed the seeds again, this time not missing a single shot. "Great job, Geodude! Tackle!"

The Geodude began hopping towards Basil, still ignoring the sprouts on its body, bracing itself for another powerful tackle. However, it began stumbling on its arms, then groaning in pain.

"W-what's wrong, Geodude?" Brock asked.

"If you have to know," Ignis said with a smirk, "dude's now poisoned! Vine Whip!"

Before Brock could even question what had happened, this time Basil's vines swiftly slapped the Geodude across the battlefield. The Rock Pokémon let out a pained cry, but managed to withstand the blow as it landed right-side up a distant away. _"Geeeeeo..."_

"Hoho, that was rather interesting," Roxanne muttered from afar.

"Her Bulbasaur infused its Leech Seed attack with Poison Powder..." Roark said. "That's not something you see people think up everyday..."

Turning her head to Ignis' two companions, Roxanne noticed the awe on their faces. "If you girls don't mind, was she training her Pokémon to do that?"

Hana nodded. "After battling Mr. Liam, before we headed back to the Pokémon Center, it seems Ms. Ignis' Bulbasaur had learned some new moves," she said. "So, she wanted to test them out and plan some strategies for today's battle. She trained with some wild Pokémon just outside Pewter City's boundaries."

"Yeah, and she was hella cool and smart!" Terra added. The brunette then cupped her hands together, standing up. "Come on, Iggy! Beat that Brock outta here!"

 _I feel so loved..._ Ignis and Brock both thought, with differing opinions in each's head.

"Well, I guess that's that," Roxanne said. "Not a strategy many people would come up with though... this Ignis girl has an oddly unique mind."

"It's just one combo move though," Roark said. "Could just be a fluke."

"Just keep watching and you'll see her blow your minds!" Terra said.

Back to the battlefield, Brock was rubbing his chin. "Mixed moves, huh? That's quite clever, Ignis."

"Heehee, thanks. I was wondering how to get Pokémon like Geodude again now that we've learnt these new moves," she said. "You're definitely going to win, right, Basil?"

 _"Bulba!"_ Basil chirped.

"Heh. Don't get too cocky now," Brock said. "You still have to defeat both my Pokémon! Geodude, Defense Curl!"

Liam frowned. "Oh no..."

As a layer of light shone around the Geodude, Brock then pointed back at Basil. "Rollout!"

 _Isn't that...!_ Ignis recalled her battle with Brock's apprentice the previous day. "Basil, dodge it!" Her Bulbasaur nodded and quickly jumped out the of way as the rolling Geodude charged right through where it stood. It quickly turned around to face the rolling Rock-type, remembering the battle as well. "Remember yesterday! Form a slide!"

Nodding, it brought its vines out again and formed a makeshift slide with them. Brock smiled, taking the scene in with interest, as did Roxanne and Roark, while Liam sighed.

"Even though I told you about this..." Liam muttered.

The Geodude, turning around, rolled blindly towards Basil, before suddenly being launched into the air. _"D-dude!?"_

Brock chuckled. "Sorry, Liam, I just wanted to see if it was real," he said. Seeing Ignis grin, he returned it with his own smirk. "But here's a way to use it! Geodude, Magnitude!" he said.

Ignis' eyes widened as the Geodude quickly recovered from its confusion and raised its arms, slightly shaping its body into that of a falling meteorite. She felt tension rise as it began falling towards the battlefield. "Basil! Vine Whip!"

The Bulbasaur sensed the panic in its Trainer's voice and quickly turned its vines into whips, aimed at the Rock-type. It managed to lash at the sentient rock several times while in the air, but Geodude's refusal to be slapped away, the reptilian finally decided to gather its vines below the Rock-type.

Violently, the Geodude smashed through the vines, tearing it to shreds as its weakened impact on the battlefield shook the entire arena.

Ignis held her breath as she noticed the Bulbasaur wincing. _Yikes, that move is just... fuck you, Magnitude..._ "A-are you alright, Basil?"

Shuddering for a short while, Basil eventually smiled back and nodded.

She sighed with relief. "Okay, that's good... that's good." She turned back to the Geodude, who was now turning around to face the Grass-type once more, although it seemed plenty damaged this time. She narrowed her eyes. "Quickly Tackle it!"

 _"B-bulba!"_ Basil ran towards the Rock-type and, before it could respond, rammed its body with its own, sending it sprawling across the stage.

This time, the Geodude landed on its back, non-moving. _"D-duuuuude..."_ it groaned.

Brock smiled. "I guess that's it for my Geodude," he said. "Come back, Geodude. You did well." The Rock-type groaned once more before being converted into data again, recalled into its Pokéball. "That was pretty impressive, Ignis. Although I'm a bit worried for your Bulbasaur. Will it be okay?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure, really," Ignis said. Basil looked back at its Trainer, nodding. "...I guess it'll be fine. I believe in the guy." _Or, uh, girl. Whatever gender._

The Rock-type expert tilted his head. "What about that Koffing?" he asked. "If you want to switch out, you can."

"Eh, Koffing is... eheh, more like a guest member for now," Ignis said. "Just... observing for now. The situation's, uh, complicated."

 _"K-koff..."_

Brock shrugged. "Well, if you say so. Anyways, your next opponent will be..." He tossed a second Pokéball onto the stage, releasing a giant serpentine made of boulders. "Meet my Onix. I hope you're prepared to show this fella everything you've got," Brock said.

Ignis blinked. _I know I shouldn't, but..._ "Why, Brock, looks like you've decided to show me your giant, hard snake," she said with a snicker.

The Kanto Gym Leader stared for a while, deadpanned expression on his face, before he grinned. "Why, that's right, Ignis. My rock hard snake will show you a smashing time," he said.

"Oh, God..." Terra groaned. "They're both crappy joke makers..."

"Y-your friend here thinks otherwise," Roxanne said, barely able to contain her laugh while Hana was similarly looking away, a hand covering her face.

"...don't forget they're dirty jokes," Roark mumbled.

"Dirty funny!"

"...sure."

Ignis cleared her throat. "Right, anyways. Basil! Ready for another round?"

 _"Saur!"_ the Bulbasaur said with a nod.

Grinning, Ignis pointed forward. "Alrighty! Basil, Vine Whip!"

"Dodge it!" Brock shouted. To her surprise, the Rock Snake Pokémon who was easily a huge target that couldn't be missed, managed to jump away from Basil's vines with impressive speed, maneuvering its way towards the Grass-type without being struck once. "Screech!"

The Onix let out an ear-shattering noise at Basil, which, if Ignis had to admit, almost scared her out of her mind. Had she not been rooted to the ground by... some dumb luck, she probably would've visibly jumped, or at least she thought so.

 _Crap, what stat does that move lower!?_ The girl gritted her teeth. "Growl!" she said. Basil seemed to charge something within its mouth, then barked at the snake. Although it didn't seem like anything had happened, the girl could only hope the move worked as it was intended to. Then, she pointed at the snake. "Leech Seed!"

"Dodge and Tackle!" Brock retorted. As Basil shot several more seeds at the serpent-like Pokémon, the Onix again craftily slid around and maneuvered its away past the seeds, ramming its face against the Grass-type's.

"Not good... Sleep Powder Leech Seed!" Ignis said. Taking less than a second to infuse its seed with sleep-inducing pollen, the Bulbasaur began shooting out seed bullets towards the Onix. A few managed to hit the Rock-type, each exploding into blasts of bluish green, inflicting several sprout growths on its body.

"It'll take more than that to stop Onix's movements!" Brock said. "Onix! Tackle!"

The Onix made to rush towards the Grass-type, but by this point its speed had noticeably reduced. "Not enough to put it to sleep, but slowing it down is good enough!" Ignis said as Basil jumped back, avoiding the attack. "Wrap with your vines and add Poison Powder to the mix!" Basil's tentacles shot towards the Onix and wrapped around various boulders of its body, giving it no chance to move out of its reach. Then, its hind legs raised, Basil sprayed purple pollen towards the rock serpent's body.

 _"Ooooonnn!"_ the Onix hissed.

"Poisoned and tired down... yeah, that's not good," Brock concluded. "But you're going to have to do better than that! Onix, Bind!"

"Leech Seed!"

No sooner than when the command was given, Onix's tail swiftly wrapped around Basil, grabbing and holding it slightly above the ground. Although the Onix was clearly in pain from the poison status, it was determined to follow its orders thoroughly.

"Guess we'll have to see who loses first," Brock said. "Your Bulbasaur to my Onix's Bind move, or my Onix to your Poison Powder's effect."

"...yeah, we could wait," Ignis said. "Or... Basil! Sleep Powder, over and over!"

 _"S-saur!"_ Basil began spurting out more blasts of bluish green pollen, coating the serpentine's body. Onix's grip on the Bulbasaur began weakening, to Brock's dismay. Due to how much Basil was releasing, before Brock could finish coming up with a counter idea, in few seconds the Onix collapsed onto the ground, heavily asleep, releasing its captive from its hold.

"Great! Onix won't be waking up anytime soon!" Ignis cheered. _And if he uses an Awakening..._ "Basil, prepare your vines!"

"No need," Brock said and chuckled. "Guess it's my loss this time."

"Huh?" The ravenette from another world blinked, her body relaxing as she stared, confused. "It's over already?"

Brock nodded. "Ah, you're confused, right? The thing is, in official Pokémon battles, you can end a battle in two ways," he said. "Defeating your opponent, or putting them to sleep. It's because by default, a Trainer isn't necessarily required to be able to use an Awakening in every hypothetical situation."

"That's right," Roxanne said as she and the others made their way down to the stadium. "On the other hand, in normal Pokémon battles, it is completely acceptable to use items to assist one's partner Pokémon during combat."

"I thought you weren't a Gym Leader," Terra said.

"I'm not, but I'm aiming to become one, so it doesn't hurt to study the right stuff."

"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess."

Ignis scratched her head. "Well, uh... I guess if that's how it works, then okay." To be honest, she was sort of disappointed, but hey- a victory was a victory, and she supposed it was better to take what she was given. The girl bent down and petted her Bulbasaur, whom smiled and tiredly slumped flat on its belly. "There, there. You did really good today, Basil."

"And it's only morning, sheesh," Terra said.

"It was a rather exciting morning, though, wasn't it?" Brock said. "At least, it was for me. Here, Ignis." He threw a small item over to the girl, who not only failed to properly catch it, but lost sight of it for a few seconds. "..."

"S-sorry, sorry," the girl said as she narrowed her eyes, finally making out the shape of what she had been given. It was a grey colored badge lying on a concrete area of the gym. "Ah, there... first badge, get!" _Okay, that was embarrassing._

"Aaaaand take this too," the Kanto Gym Leader added as he, this time, handed over another item in a normal manner.

It was a small disc labeled 'TM39 (Rock Tomb)'.

"Ooooh, Technical Machines," Ignis said. "...y'know, it's sorta sinking in to me now, but I really did just win my first badge, right?"

"What, are you so surprised that it's, like... 'too good to be true', or something like that?" Terra asked. "Of course you won! I told you you'd win!"

"And congratulations are in order, Ms. Ignis," Hana said as she smiled. "Should w return to the Pokémon Center and heal your Bulbasaur?"

Ignis nodded. "Good idea, and we can grab something to eat as well. I'm sure Carmen's willing to give some recommendations."

"Oh, the Nurse Joy."

"You don't mind if I join in too, right?" Roxanne asked. "I'd certainly love to get to know you girls better while I can. After all, they do say making connections and relationships is important for one's future!"

"Uh, sure," Ignis said. "The more the merrier!" _Breakfast with Roxanne! I'm dying!_

"I'll pass on that," Roark said. "Now that this is over with, I'm going to go take a nap in the back room. ...but yeah, congratulations, uh, girl."

"It's Ignis!" Terra said.

"Ignis Coronoid, pleasure to meet you," Ignis said, rolling her eyes.

Brock then wrapped an arm around Roark. "Aw, c'mon. Don't be such a lazy bum this early in the morning. How about I treat you to something to celebrate as well?"

"Celebrate you losing?" Roark asked.

"Uh..."

"Oh, whatever. Sure thing, buddy," the Sinnoh yet-to-be Gym Leader said with a grin.

"Oh, no, my wallet senses danger..."

Ignis laughed. So far, the characters she knew from her world were turning out to be quite the fun bunch. "Alright! Let's get going then!"

"Ahoy!" Roxanne cheered, followed by Terra and Brock.

"Uh, ahoy..." Hana reluctantly said, confused, followed by Roark and Liam.

 _"Saur!"_ Basil chirped.

* * *

 **| Team IGNIS:**

Bulbasaur ("Basil", Lv15); Koffing (Lv?)

 **| Team TERRA:**

Squirtle ("Squirty", Lv8); Caterpie ("Petal", Lv5)

 **| Team HANA:**

Charmander ("Emma", Lv9); Weedle ("Mel", Lv4)

 **Notes:**

|| Major battles' chapter names will now be formatted with 'Decisive Battle'. I like the sound of it.

|| Brock. Barrack Obama. Brrrrock Obama. Simple joke.

|| Violet is the name I've given the player's/Ignis' mother character. Currently, it isn't necessary to remember her.

|| Roark's watching the fight too, this time.

|| I'm not good with action/battle scenes, but I'm trying my best. I hope they're decent, at least.


	10. Photography is Actually Somewhat Fun

"A Boulder Badge... sweet..." Ignis muttered. She examined the badge carefully, holding it slightly above her head.

Brock nodded. "That's right. I should also give you a copy of this too," he said and pulled out a familiar CD.

"TM... Technical Machine," the girl muttered. It was one of the useless knowledge she had memorized somehow from a research session of boredom. If she recalled correctly, the more important version- HM- stood for ' _Hidden Machine_ '. She wasn't sure why they were called that, but it didn't really matter anyways.

"That's right. This is TM39; it contains Rock Tomb," Brock explained. "Although I'm positive your Bulbasaur can't learn this, you might find or capture a Pokémon later on that can learn it. So keep it safe, you hear?"

"Got it." She put the TM away in her bag, and the Boulder Badge as well. _I'll figure out the bag's layouts later_ , she thought.

As they had been talking, the others slowly walked to them.

"Iggy! You did it!" Terra exclaimed, glomping the girl with a super cheerful hug. She practically shook the ravenette over and over, still amazed. "This is great! I _knew_ you were great at battling! You might even make it to the top of the world one day!"

"W-whoa, calm down..." Contrary to what she initially thought, being shaken around really wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Hana stepped forward. "Miss Ignis, I think... that was a very impressive match," she said. "The way you and your Bulbasaur's thoughts coordinated with one another... outmaneuvering Mister Brock's Pokémon... it was amazing!"

"Ahaha... really now?" Ignis mentally grimaced. To be truthful, she actually didn't expect her 'strategy' to work as well. Frankly speaking, she was a Leeroy Jenkins-type of player- rush straight into danger and attack whenever she can. The only reason she gave Basil the commands she gave was because she was actually panicking and desperate for victory. Knowing that in real life Pokémon wouldn't take turns, she could only order them to do what she thought would stall for time... not that she could admit that now.

Suddenly, she remembered that Roxanne had also been spectating. Said girl was just behind Hana, having reached the group. "Ignis, was it?" she said.

"Y-yes! That's me!" the girl said.

Roxanne chuckled. "That was a rather amusing match, if I had to say so myself. I never thought I'd see a Trainer win while being restrained with Bind."

"W-well, you know. Gotta consider every chance to win, right?" _More like gotta stop panicking..._ she thought.

"Say, are you interested in Rock-types?" the Hoenn Gym Leader asked.

"I... slightly, I suppose..." Ignis replied, unsure. She wasn't that big a fan of Rock-types, truth be told. However, her being a huge fan of Roxanne was probably already obvious to the Gym Leader already, so there had to be a reason for that. And as Roxanne wasn't a Gym Leader yet, apparently, the only methods of fangirling over her were probably things like magazines and TV shows, assuming the girl had been a Rock-type expert even before becoming a Gym Leader.

Her target of admiration chuckled at that. "You sure about that? I can tell you're a huge fangirl..."

"W-well... ahaha..." The girl wasn't sure how to respond to that. _Huge fangirl of you, and not Rock-types... pft._

"Anyways, Ignis. I'd suggest you go to Cerulean City next," Brock said. "Misty's got the official second badge there, and although there's really no true order of how you should get badges, Cerulean's the closest," he explained. "You just gotta head towards Mt. Moon and get through it."

"Right. I'll catch some more Pokémon too in the meanwhile, I suppose."

Terra tapped the ravenette's shoulder. "Wait, are you telling me we're journeying again?"

"Terra, it's literally morning..."

"And we've only spectated her match so far," Hana pointed out.

"...fine..."

Roxanne and Brock exchanged amused glances.

* * *

"Heeeey!" a voice called out.

Ignis and the group turned around. An unknown man with a white lab coat rushed towards them, waving his right hand wildly. "...huh."

They stood still, waiting for the scientist? ...to catch up. He was still so faraway, they wondered how they even heard his shout.

"...hey, wait! I recognize him!" Terra said. "He's from grandpa's lab!"

"Yes, I do recall seeing him in Professor Oak's lab when I received my Emma..." Hana noted.

Ignis gave them odd looks. _Seriously? I don't remember a single of their faces..._

Eventually, the man caught up to them. "Huff... huff... Arceus I'm tired..."

 _You say huff out loud...?_ Ignis stared. "Uh, hi. Long time no see, uh, Bob."

"B-Bob...?" He pulled his glasses off, wiped it, and put it back on. "My name's not-"

"What're you doing here, Builder?" the ravenette asked.

He pulled something from his bag. "Oh, well, your mother came to our lab and told us you... wait, I'm not Bob the Builder, got it?"

She laughed. "Alright." _That cartoon exists in this world too...?_

Wait, they were repeatedly getting off-track. The scientist shook his head, determined to get his business over with. "A-anyways, your mother told us you left your phone on at home on the table," he said. He handed over a red mobile phone to the girl, who seemed even more confused. "Also, she forgot to give you these new babies."

"B-babies!?" Hana repeated. She did not like where this conversation was hea-

"Running Shoes?" Ignis asked. _Thank goodness I remember what this was about_ , she thought. Memories of how glad she was to be able to hold the B button surfaced in her mind just a few seconds ago. When given a questioning look, she faked a smile. "Well, I saw the box in the house many times. Mom's not good at hiding it."

"Right."

Hana remained confused. "...babies?"

Ignis snickered. "Some people have weird fetishes," she explained simply.

"T-that's not it!" Bob... uh, the scientist denied.

Meanwhile, Terra, who had been searching within her bag, frowned. "Ah."

"Yes, your phone too. I brought it too." He handed over a green mobile phone to Terra, who happily accepted it. "Say, do you have a phone, Miss Hana?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes. My father told me to carry it at all times, so that is indeed what I have always done."

"Oooh, hey. Let's exchange contacts," Terra suggested.

Hana complied and displayed her number for both Ignis and Terra to add.

 _Funny, I don't think the first generation remakes had a phone system..._ Ignis thought in the meanwhile. The only thing she recalled close to a phone was the PokéNav from the third generation games. Then again, who cares? Now communication can be easily and conveniently done.

"Hey, I should get Roxanne's number too," she mused.

"Oh look, it's that girl from Brock's gym," Terra suddenly said as she pointed to the sky.

Ignis' head immediately turned where she pointed. "W-what?" True to the brunette's words, Roxanne was sitting on top of a Pokémon floating in the sky, flying away. "What the...?" The Pokémon in question was a huge rock resembling the... uh... _those island stonehenge things._ She didn't know the term or whatever, but she recognized that Pokémon- it was a Nosepass... or at least, it seemed like it.

Wait, Nosepass had an evolution too. She quickly racked inside her mind... _what was it... um... Probopass!_

The Probopass was floating somehow, and carrying Roxanne on its head, flying away towards an unknown direction. "A-aahhh, noooo... Roxanne..."

Hana chuckled. "Well, we might meet her again in the future."

"Sure... hopefully..." Sighing, Ignis shook the scientist's hands and walked away with her group. They had already received Brock's number on paper, as the man had left his phone in the meeting room and was too lazy to go get it, and this was apparently a common occurrence so he always carried small business cards with his number on it. Not that she cared. _I just wanted Roxanne's number... uuu..._

"Bye, Bob!" Terra waved to the scientist.

"N-not you too..." he shouted, before walking away the opposite direction.

* * *

"Hey, Basil! Say ' _cheeeese_ '~!" Ignis cooed. Her Bulbasaur smiled as it raised its head, staring at the phone's camera. A small flash of flight, and it jumped with joy as Ignis checked the photo. "D'aw. You cute little rascal..."

"You sure are getting attached to that phone," Terra said. She looked back at her Caterpie, commanding it to dodge an attacking female Nidoran. "W-whoa, close call."

Ignis snapped another picture of her starter Pokémon. "Yeah... Basil just looks so adorable!" she squealed. Then, eyes twinkling, she turned towards her friend. "S-say, you're not training your Squirtle right now, right...?"

"I-Iggy, really...?" the brunette muttered. With a sigh, she motioned her spectating Squirtle to go to her friend. Squirty shrugged and waddled over to the ravenette.

"Whoa... sweet."

Hana, who was observing Terra fight and petting her Charmander and Weedle at the same time, blinked. "...is it that fun, Miss Ignis?"

The ravenette nodded. "Yeah, surprisingly. Wanna try?"

"...j-just a bit."

Grinning, Ignis pulled the blonde over and opened her phone's gallery, showing some pictures she took of her Bulbasaur. "See, look at this cute fella... look how they're smiling... just so pure...!"

Hana slowly nodded. "I... have to admit, he _is_ quite cute."

Grinning, Ignis tapped Terra's Squirtle's shoulder. "Hey, uh... Squirty, right?" It nodded. "Can you try standing next to Basil and pose together?" Another nod. It then waddled over to Basil and put what was probably its elbow on the Grass-type's back, just next to its bulb. "Yeah... that's good." She snapped another picture. "Oooh. See? See? Look at that..."

The blonde gulped. "W-wow. The more I look, the cuter I seem to find it..." She then looked at her Charmander. "...M-Miss Ignis! Do you think Emma can participate as well?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! We could have them be the trio of Professor Oak's Pokémon!" Ignis said.

Hana smiled. "I thank you very much! Emma, what do you think?" The Charmander cheered and joined its group of friends, the three starting to make random cutesy poses.

Terra, meanwhile, was becoming frustrated for reasons. "Why the heck are you two enjoying photography while I'm fighting for my life here!?" she said.

Ignis turned her head. "...I think you're doing fine right now," she said.

Contrary to the brunette's claim, the female Nidoran had been subdued with several white sticky strings. Her Caterpie- otherwise named Petal- was arrogantly using repeated Tackles on the entangled critter.

"...hmph." The brunette went back to her battle and took out a Pokéball. She stared at the female Nidoran. "I'll just... catch it, I guess."

"Whoa, l-look at how they're posing! Ohmygosh!"

"T-that is quite a cute picture..."

"Oh! Hey! Now they're acting like punks!"

"Oh my...! M-Miss Ignis! Take the picture!"

She gritted her teeth. "Aarrgh! Stop messing around!" Terra exclaimed, throwing the Pokéball towards the Nidoran with a bit too much force. It only managed to give a shocked and confused yelp before being hit with the device, disappearing into it. The ball fell down, then shook thrice. The brunette widened her eyes. "...whoops. ...but hey. Yay."

Ignis snickered. "Sorry, Terra. It was just getting a bit too fun."

"I apologize, Miss Terra," Hana said. "It truly is marvelous though, and I-"

"Urgh, now I feel like the babysitter," Terra said. "Jeez, remember that we're here to help grandpa fill his Pokédex."

 _...well that's not my main goal, but whatever..._ Ignis thought. "Right. Anyways, sweet catch."

"Huh? Oh, uh, right." Terra picked up her newly used Pokéball, checking her Pokédex. "A Nidoran... with a female symbol. Odd."

"So? What's its nickname going to be?"

She stared at her friend. "D... do I have to nickname every Pokémon I catch...?" she asked.

Ignis shrugged. "Nah. I just think nicknames are nice."

"Well, if you say so..." The brunette called out her new Pokémon and picked it up, staring into its eyes. "Hmmm... a cute little thing like you..." She kept on staring, unsure of what to name it. "...yeah, I don't know..."

Hana smiled. "May I make a suggestion?" she asked. "How about Ranne?"

"Ranne... eh, alright," Terra said. "I can't come up with any other name anyways. Let's call you Ranne from now on!"

The female Nidoran barked happily at its new Trainer. " _Ra~_ "


	11. Predators Within the Dark

Basil the Bulbasaur rammed another Trainer's Jigglypuff, sending it slamming against some rocky walls. "That's my win!" Ignis exclaimed.

The lass opposite to her side grimaced. "Jigglypuff! Argh..." She reluctantly recalled her Pokémon back and pulled out some Pokédollars. "Here you go..."

Ignis hesitantly accepted the cash- it still felt extremely wrong no matter how many times she won against other Trainers- and shoved it inside her pocket. "Right. Cute Jigglypuff, by the way."

"Uh, thanks." The girl walked towards where Ignis and the group were heading.

The ravenette then remembered there being another Pokémon Center before the entrance of Mt. Moon. "Right, I guess I should go heal there first, too." She turned her head slightly. "Terra, Hana. Ready to go?"

Said two aforementioned girls were observing some pictures that Terra took this time- the brunette didn't want to be the only one who didn't take pictures. They glanced at Ignis, who seemed to be patiently waiting for them. "Uh, right. Coming," Terra said and put her phone away.

"Miss Terra, would you mind sending me that picture later?" Hana asked.

The brunette snickered. "Sure. Great meme quality expression on that Jigglypuff right there."

Ignis raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question it. When she turned back, she saw her Bulbasaur twitching. "Basil? What's wrong, boy? ...or girl." _Eh, screw gender issues for now,_ she thought. Suddenly, Basil's body glowed white, to the surprise of the three. They all realized what was happening though.

"I-iggy! She's... uh, he's... um-"

"Evolving!" Hana finished. "...perhaps the Pokédex can tell the gender," she suggested.

Ignis blinked. _Right, that thing._ She quickly pulled her Pokédex out, while at the same time also tapping some icons on her mobile phone. On one hand, she examined the Pokédex analysis of what was still currently regarded as a Bulbasaur- "He's male!" she said. On the other hand, she quickly opened her camera app and recorded the evolution, watching the scene raw with her eyes rather than the phone.

Sad, because she didn't realize the angle was quite off and the camera only barely caught the bottom of Basil's face and his feet.

Disregarding that, her gaze was _captured_ by the sight. She didn't think Pokémon evolution in real life would actually be this beautiful- contrary to what she expected, her Bulbasaur was indeed glowing but didn't become completely white. She could see his skin bulging and growing, and some unknown white dust flew from nowhere to form new traits for him.

Basil let out a roar filled with pride, and when the light died down, as she stopped recording, what stood in her Bulbasaur's place was now an Ivysaur.

"Holy shit, Basil! You evolved! This is great!" Ignis cheered. She picked him up happily, but almost fell down. "Whoa. Heavy fella. Oh well, you're amazing!"

The Ivysaur smiled. " _Saur!_ "

"Wow, I already knew how an Ivysaur would look like, but..." Terra said. "He still looks a lot cooler now!"

Hana stared at the evolved starter. "I do not know much about Pokémon yet, so this is quite a surprise to me," she said. "I wonder how Emma will look like when she evolves..."

"Your Charmander? I can guarantee, the final form is hella cool," Ignis said.

"I see... We must keep training then, Emma!" Hana said, to her Charmander's delight.

"Anyways, let's head on to the Pokémon Center ahead! Then we'll go through Mt. Moon!"

* * *

Few minutes later, after having the local Nurse Joy heal their Pokémon, the trio were ready to depart.

They stood at the entrance of Mt. Moon, peering into the cave. "Huuhh... kinda eerie, isn't it?" Ignis said.

Terra groaned. "Please don't try to scare us..."

"Uh, that wasn't an attempt."

Hana patted the brunette. "I-it is alright, Miss Terra. You have a swords wielder like me around," she said. However...

"Your legs are shaking, Hana," Ignis pointed out.

The blonde's face turned red. "N-no, that is just... excitement. Yes. Dangerous opponents await inside, after all."

Shrugging, Ignis took the first step into the cave. "Well, in case anything bad happens, we should stick together, I suppose." The two exchanged glances before hesitantly following after the ravenette. They both grabbed each side of her arm, looking around nervously. "...it's not even that dark in here."

"I-it's still pretty dark," Terra said. "...actually I think it's getting darker the further we're in..."

"...Hana, you okay?" Ignis shifted her focus to the blonde.

Said swordswielder nodded quietly.

"Man, you must be really afraid of the dark." However, Ignis noticed that perhaps Terra wasn't wrong- the cave walls seemed to become darker in color, less light reaching her eyes.

Few minutes of walking passed, and soon the only source of light they had were frequent glowing stones embedded in the walls.

She wasn't even sure how deep they were in the cave.

Seconds passed.

Minutes passed.

At some point, Hana let go of her side, most likely trying to brave through the cave without holding someone closely.

More seconds passed.

More minutes passed.

Ignis blinked. The quietness of their exploration so far felt rather awkward to her. She decided to strike up a conversation.

"Rather silent journey so far, isn't it?" she asked.

Terra simply nodded. "Y-yeah..."

Ignis noticed more glowing stones appearing in the walls. "...kinda romantic feel to it," she muttered. _Wait, wouldn't this situation be...?_

"...Iggy," the brunette suddenly said. "Y-you know, um... I want to tell you something..."

 _Uh oh._ "Y... yeah?"

Beat.

"I just... think that right now's a good chance... with no interruptions..."

"U-uh huh. Go on..." Ignis had an inkling of what she was going to say. However, something else was bothering her, so her focus wasn't much on her friend's words right now. _That's odd... not a single wild Pokémon has attacked us yet,_ she thought. She felt Terra grab her hand, causing her to blush slightly, but it didn't affect her too much. _C-could she choose any better timing..._

Terra gulped. "Um... Iggy... r-right now, I'm..."

 _Speaking of which, there should be plenty of Zubat in caves..._ Ignis recalled. She looked up, but saw nothing on the caves.

"...I'm..."

Ignis frowned, but kept listening to the brunette as her eyes darted around. Were cave exploration supposed to be this peaceful?

"...n-not feeling so well..." Terra fell to her knees.

 _Huh?_ Ignis turned sideways. "T-Terra?" she asked, kneeling down to examine the girl. _The heck? Is she sick?_ She touched the brunette's forehead. Nothing out of the ordinary. "W-what's wrong, Terra?"

"M-my head's hurting..." the brunette said.

Ignis shook her head. _What the heck's going on with Mt. Moon?_ Of course, now that her companion seemed to be doing not so well, Terra was now of a higher priority than Mt. Moon's oddities. "U-uh, hang on to me. I'll get us out of the cave soon enough... I hope." She wasn't sure if that was possible so far, but whatever.

Terra's head hurts. Headaches, she recognized. Why out of nowhere, though? And so suddenly?

 _Wait... that reminds me of the Confusion status in the games..._ she thought. And when she thought of the Confusion status... _Zubat._ Her eyes widened. _Were we being tailed by Zubat...?_

From the corner of her ears, she began hearing the noise of wings flapping. _Welp, here comes the Zubat._

But Zubat were quite small, and their wings shouldn't make flaps as loud as what she was hearing. She slowly walked forward, Terra's arms around her neck, as she tried to look back. "What the hell could also be here...?"

Slowly, a different bat Pokémon appeared from the darkness. Her eyes widened-

"What the shit, that's a Golbat..." she muttered. The Golbat seemed to be taking its time, flying really slowly towards them. "What is it even doing here... oh."

Zubat lived in caves, sure, but just because they were the only one from their evolutionary line you could encounter in the game, it didn't mean their evolved forms couldn't be found there. She kept forgetting that this was no longer a game, and that this was a reality now- her _new_ reality.

"Shit, shit, shit... bats suck blood..." The ravenette tried to increase her speed, but Terra wasn't exactly someone light that you could easily carry without being slowed down. She looked back- the Golbat was inching closer.

...wait, where the heck was Hana?

Ignis tensed her eyes, trying to make out the shape of a person with blonde hair, but couldn't see anyone behind the incoming Golbat. "H-Hana!? Where the hell...!?"

 _Shit, it's getting closer._ Figuring there wasn't any safe way out of this, she grinned and gently put Terra down.

"I-Iggy..." the brunette whimpered.

"S'alright, Terra. I'll finish this soon enough." Ignis grabbed her Pokéball. "Basil! Relying on you here!" she said as she summoned her starter Pokémon. She had recalled him as he couldn't do anything to help with light sources, and she figured it was better to have him contained rather than somehow lose him in a cave- assuming it could happen. Although, she supposed the walk to this point was extremely easy, as they had only been walking in a straight direction- but seeing as somehow Hana disappeared, it might have been possible to lose someone after all. "Basil, Leech Seed with Sleep Powder!"

Nodding, her starter Pokémon prepared its seeds and shot it randomly towards the Golbat's direction. It successfully dodged it, but some Zubat that appeared within seconds were hit by it and wrapped in sprouting vines, falling to the ground. The Golbat didn't seem to care at all, though, and proceeded near them.

"Shit, that did nothing to the Golbat..." Ignis muttered. She didn't know exactly how much blood these creatures could or would drink, but Golbat sure are huge as hell. She didn't want to risk becoming as thing as a stick... nor see Terra become a stick. "V-Vine Whip!"

Basil shot out some vines, aimed at Golbat. The bat dodged them again, and to Ignis surprised, it violently flapped its wings. Barely visible blades of air formed and were sent cutting through her Ivysaur's vines, causing it to flinch and jump back instinctively.

"A-Air Cutter!" Ignis assumed. She cursed herself for forgetting Golbat had Flying-type moves, something her starter was weak against. "God, this isn't turning out so well..." _And Hana might be in danger too..._ Fearing for the worst, she turned to the Ivysaur. "Basil, carry Terra and run up ahead. I'll save some time," she said.

Basil blinked, then stared at her with its jaws dropped. She knew what his expression said right away: _Are you for real?_

She grinned, although her Pokémon could tell it was forced, even if a bit smug. "Nah, don't worry. I got a plan."

"... _s-saur!_ " Nodding, the Grass-type grabbed Terra with its newly-grown vines and held her above him. He ran off towards what they all hoped was an exit.

Ignis watched her Pokémon and friend disappear into the shadows, before turning back to the Golbat, who, for unknown reasons, waited patiently. "Heh. It's just you and me now, asshole!"

Even though she couldn't exactly tell, the Golbat seemed to be grinning despite its wide open jaw. It charged straight towards the girl, who dodged sideways.

"Hah! You'll have to- urgh!" She crashed into the walls. "Crap, that hurts..."

Golbat flew towards her again.

She paled, but brought her arm up in defense. "Get lost!" she shouted.

Instead, the Golbat dug its fangs inside her arm. She yelped in pain, but tensed her arm. The Golbat's eyes seemed smug, and then it began to drain blood from her.

To its confusion, the Trainer grinned. Ignis stared Golbat straight into the eye. "Got you in one place now, you damned bat."

The Golbat rolled its eyes. It was obviously thinking something amongst the lines of: _What can you do now?_

She snickered. "At the cost of some blood, I wouldn't really care if I can capture something powerful."

It didn't seem so smug anymore, just confused. Then it saw Ignis use its other hand to reach for a Pokéball. The Golbat widened its eyes- it knew what that device was for.

Suddenly, she pinned the Golbat to the wall, her arm trapped with its fangs, it trapped by her arm and the wall. "Too bad for you, Golbat. It seems I have the winning advantage here," she whispered. The Golbat gulped, before she tapped its forehead with the Pokéball.

Soon, the Golbat disappeared, contained within her Pokéball. She sighed and weakly picked it up- it shook three times, before it stopped moving.

Ignis smiled. "Yes! Got a Golbat!" she exclaimed. "Extremely lucky, too... would've been impossible if I didn't trap it..." She pocketed the Pokéball, then stared at the two holes in her arms. Small amounts of blood trickled from her wounds. "Urgh. That's not good..."

Suddenly, more Zubat screeches were heard from behind. She turned around- _shit! I forgot Golbat wasn't the only pest here!_

She paled as a swarm of Zubat approached her. She might just leave this cave with a bit more holes than expected... if she could leave at all. Bracing herself, she prepared to make a run for it-

" _Chuuuuu!_ "

Yellow sparks spread throughout the cave, electrocuting the purple bats everywhere. She flinched as they all dropped to the ground, twitching but unconscious. Slowly, a Pikachu emerged from the darkness. "A-a Pikachu...? Wait, are you...?"

" _Pika pi!_ " the Pikachu hissed, then motioned for her to run.

She blinked. "...o-oh, right." She turned around and ran, Pikachu following her. "Thanks, Pikachu! What're you doing here though?"

The Pikachu glared at her. " _Pika pi, pikachu!_ "

Ignis grimaced. "As I thought, of course I can't understand." The running lasted for a bit over ten seconds, in silence. She eventually reached what seemed like an open clearing of the cave- sunlight poured from the circular open space of the cave's roof. She covered her eyes- "G-gah. Bright..." Then she spotted Basil keeping guard over a resting Terra, while several pink fairy-like Pokémon were watching out of curiosity. She stared. "C-Clefairy!? ...a-and Clefable too...!? W-wait no, Terra!"

The girl ran over to Basil, who smiled at the safety of his Trainer.

"Thanks, Basil. You did great." She petted the Grass-type shortly, and then gently caressed Terra's head. "You'll be alright here, Terra. I'll... go find Hana for now. Just wait a bit more." She turned around to run back where she came from, to Pikachu's confusion.

" _P-pika!_ " the Pikachu yelled, stopping her in her tracks.

She smiled at the rodent. "Take care of them for me, and we'll talk later. 'kay?"

Without waiting for a response she probably wouldn't understand anyways, she ran back inside the entrance she had just exited.

Then she collapsed.


	12. Toxic-Dyed Trust

Hana cowered as the darkness surrounded her. "M-M-Miss Ignis... w-where are you...?" she said to herself, wishing for her friend to appear.

She didn't.

The blonde opened her eyes slightly. Emptiness still surrounded her. She breathed in and breathed out to calm herself, then slowly stood up, legs still shaking. Hopefully some ghosts wouldn't show up. "R-right. I can do this. I have a sword." The girl's hands found their way towards the sheathed sword she kept at her side. Again calming herself down, she slowly took some steps.

At some point during their walk, she had no idea how, but she became separated from Ignis and Terra.

That shouldn't even remotely possible, no matter how many times she thought about it. After all, they were just walking in a straight line.

"...huh?" She turned around- the path she had been walking didn't look straight at all. In fact, it was an obvious curved tunnel that she couldn't mistake for even a second. "..."

The girl shook her head. She had crossed through Mt. Moon once- when she was busy chasing that blasted blonde haired man all the way from Saffron City. There was no way she could be lost in a cave she had ran through.

...then again, the more she thought about it, she was busy running and screaming and swinging her sword around rather than adventuring, so perhaps... she didn't know her way.

Suddenly an idea struck her head. "T-that's it! Emma's tail..." She called her Charmander out, smiling with relief when it chirped happily at the sight of its Trainer. "E-Emma. I need you as a, um, light source... s-sorry, the truth is, I am... um, really bad with the dark."

The Charmander glanced at her curiously, before nodding with understanding. " _Char!_ " It tensed its body, and the flame on its tail grew brighter. Only slightly. But brighter.

Hana felt so relieved. She stared at her other Pokéball. Perhaps...

She let out her Weedle. "U-um, hello. I know I haven't let you out so far, but... p-please stay with me," she said. "I might, um, need help with battling wild Pokémon off... i-is that okay? Um... how about... Mel?"

Her Weedle, now named Mel, stared at her for a while before it turned away. It seemed to shrug and accept its situation.

Smiling with relief, Hana now felt a bit more confident in her survival.

Then she heard the sound of some wings flapping lightly. "...I feel like danger is going to fall upon us very soon..."

* * *

Ignis panted, trying to push herself up. "Run, damn it..."

Pikachu scurried over to her side. " _Pikachu, pikapi...?_ " It's mouth dropped open when it saw a problem- her left arm was turning purple. " _P-pi!_ "

She groaned. "Pikachu...? Ugh, go stay with them... I need to find Hana..."

The yellow rodent growled. " _Pika!_ "

Ignis weakly stared at the rat. Then, smiling, she stood up. "...Pikachu, can you go find Hana for me?" she asked, expecting a rejection.

Pikachu stared at her, not answering her question.

She sighed and staggered over to where Basil and Terra were. "...Basil, go with Pikachu and find Hana for me," she said. "I'll watch over Terra... I suppose."

The Ivysaur frowned. " _S-saur..._ "

His Trainer shook her head. "These Pokémon won't do anything," she said and stared at the spectating Pokémon around her. Several pink shapes were watching curiously- Clefairy and Clefable. Some moving lumps of rocks didn't seem to care much about their presence- Geodude and Graveler. Scuttling mushrooms seemed to hide from them with curiosity and awareness- Paras and Parasect. She smiled. "They wont' do anything, and I won't do anything. I'll be fine."

Hesitantly, Basil nodded. " _Saur!_ " He ran back into the entrance that he had escaped from. Pikachu stared at Ignis for a few more seconds, before following.

Ignis chucked. "Atta boy... or girl..."

* * *

A certain blonde swung her sword towards a Zubat, the latter dodging peskily. She pulled her sword up to swing again, but the Zubat was charging right at her, so she had to drop her sword as she jumped away from it, the opponent flying past her. "D-damn..."

Her Pokémon weren't doing so well either. It was hard for her Charmander and Weedle to use Ember or Poison Sting- respectively- and actually hit the Zubat.

Those flying critters are rather quick to dodge.

There were lucky hits every once in a while, but not enough to defeat.

"...E-Emma! Mel! Um, focus on one instead of different targets!" Hana said. "That way perhaps it'll be easier to defeat at least one..."

Emma nodded and jumped towards another Zubat. It flew backwards to dodge the lizard's claws, but a sharp needle stung it at its stomach all of a sudden. The Zubat flinched, then seemed to glare at her Weedle.

Then, without noticing, the Zubat was tackled down by the Charmander, which quickly crept behind it while it was glaring at the worm-like Pokémon.

Roaring, Emma spat out some fireballs at the Zubat underneath its grip. It screeched loudly as the Charmander kept using Ember, until eventually it stopped moving.

"G-great job, Emma!" Hana said. Then she dodged another charging Zubat. "Argh, these are quite annoying..." she said.

Suddenly, her Weedle began glowing. She widened her eyes.

"M-Mel! You're evolving... already!?"

Unable to answer, her Weedle stood up vertically and hard shells formed around its body, its iconic needle disappearing.

What remained in place of her Weedle was a Kakuna. Hana smiledat her Pokémon's growth- then dodged yet another Zubat. "Gah, they just don't stop coming...!" She took another look at her Kakuna- could it still use Poison Sting...? Because if so, she wasn't sure where the needle would come from. The Zubat didn't seem to be poisoned at all, so she assumed they were immune to poison, but it did hurt them a little, even if a bit. "Mel, can you still use Poison Sting?"

Her Kakuna stared at her, before it nodded very slightly and moved its... arms? She blinked. _Oh, those are its arms... apparently._ It pointed them at the swarm of Zubat. Stingers materialized and were shot towards the flying critters. One hit a Zubat, another was dodged.

Hana nodded. "Good enough. I'm going to carry you!" she said.

Quickly picking Mel up, she aimed it towards the swarm. "K-keep shooting if you can!" she exclaimed. The Kakuna nodded and began shooting an amount of stingers that almost seemed unlimite.

"Emma! We're running away!" she quickly added.

The Charmander nodded and began scurrying after its Trainer.

* * *

The Pikachu quietly strolled after the Ivysaur in front of it. _"Piiika pika chu?"_ it scowled.

Basil barely even glanced back. _"Ivysaur?"_

The rodent simply felt irritated. _"Pika pii, pika chu. Pikachu. Pika, pika pi."_

 _"...saur saur?"_

 _"Pi! Pika pika pikachu, pikachu, pika pi, pikachu! Pika pika!?"_

Basil stopped walking and stared at the Pikachu. _"...Ivysaur."_

 _"Ugh. Pika,"_ Pikachu began, _"pika pi pika pi pikachu chu!?"_

Basil continued staring. _"...Ivysaur."_

Rolling its eyes, Pikachu grumbled, _"Pika, pi pika pika..."_

Suddenly they heard footsteps heading towards them. They jumped a bit, before preparing for combat.

"...lp! I-is anyone out there!?" a voice familiar to Basil echoed.

 _"S-saur saur! Ivysaur!"_

 _"Ppppika pi."_

They stared. Hana slowly appeared from the darkness, carrying a Kakuna (they decided not to question it), her Charmander following suit.

The two relaxed a bit. Then they saw the swarm of Zubat following the team, and perhaps a few Golbat mixed into the swarm.

 _"...saur,"_ Basil muttered.

 _"Pika pika pi pikachu...?"_ Pikachu wondered.

Hana saw the two. "T-those are... M-Miss Ignis' Ivysaur and... a Pikachu?" She was about to question it, but another Zubat caught up to her and was about to bite into her shoulder when she jumped sideways and continued running. "U-um! Sorry, can you two please help?" she yelled.

 _"Saur, saur saur Ivy... saur."_ Basil's voice died when his vision registered the few Golbat in the swarm. Their Air Cutter technique did not really please him. _"...saur saur ivysaur, ivy ivy saur saur?"_

Pikachu rolled its eyes. _"Pika pi."_ It strolled towards the blonde, stopping short in front of the group of bats. _"Pika pi! Pikachuuuuuu!"_

Lightning emanated from the rodent's body, then spread through the cave with a speed Hana wasn't sure was even possible.

It wasn't even a second until suddenly all the bats were screaming and petrified in the air, all falling to the ground one by one.

She soon stood upon the sight of perhaps more than twenty unconscious Zubat and few Golbat. "W-wow... so this is a Pikachu's power..." she muttered.

 _"Ivy ivy saur, ivysaur!"_ Basil the Ivysaur cheered. Hana noticed him and smiled with relief, petting his head.

"Thank you, um... Basil, yes." Her Charmander and Kakuna cheered as well.

Pikachu rolled its eyes and walked back to the blonde. _"Pika pi, pikachu. Pika pika pi, pika pikachu,"_ it said, nudging her towards where they came from.

Hana nodded. "O-okay, I'll get going..." she said.

Emma jumped on top of Basil's head, happily riding it. The Ivysaur didn't seem to mind it one bit, probably knowing the lizard was tired from running. He offered Pikachu a ride too, but the rodent simply ignored him.

Hana decided to keep holding Mel the Kakuna in her arms.

* * *

When she arrived at the clearing where her companions were resting, she first noticed the amazing sight of several dark glowing stones embedded almost everywhere. "Wow... this is quite a sight," she whispered to herself. As the day was still fresh, sunlight was pouring in easily from the ceiling opening, but she had an inkling the view would definitely be a lot more beautiful if at night.

Suddenly, she noticed a gathering of small pink Pokémon. _"...clef?"_ they voiced when they noticed the girl's presence.

Hana slowly walked towards them. They seemed to be observing something. As she got closer, she saw two figures lying down. She recognized them immediately- "M-Miss Ignis!? And Miss Terra!?" The blonde quickly rushed over to them, the Clefairy and Clefable parting to let her through.

A bunch of Geodude surrounded the two bodies. She frowned and was about to wave her sword and chase them, but the Geodude saw her and parted as well. _Were they guarding the two...?_ She supposed it was something about the law of nature that these Pokémon watched over two strangers, but she was thankful nevertheless.

She knelt down, examining her friends. "Miss Terra... she seems... okay?"

Ignis opened her eyes weakly. "...oh, Hana... there you are," she rasped.

"M-Miss Ignis? Are you o...!" The blonde paled. Ignis' left arm was almost completely purple, the color about to reach her hand and shoulder. "M-Miss Ignis! You are-"

"It's nothing," Ignis hissed. "I'm just... glad you're back here, safe and sound, I suppose."

"Nothing... nothing!?" Hana dropped her bag and searched inside. "P-please hang on, I believe I have an Antidote somewhere here..."

Ignis chuckled. "Do they even... work on humans?" she asked.

"I..." The blonde paused and frowned. _Do they?_ Now she didn't know if she should try using it on her friend. Her _human_ friend. "..."

"...hey, it'll be alright," Ignis said. "The exit is probably not so far from here..."

"B-but... there's too many paths!" Hana pointed out. Truly, the center was connected to many different paths. Mt. Moon wasn't that big, so some paths definitely connected and would lead them back here- a waste of time considering the venom was spreading through Ignis' veins. "I... I don't think we can make it, Miss Ignis..."

Smiling gently, Ignis petted the blonde's head. "Don't... don't worry. I... think I got this..." She grabbed her Pokéball and tossed it.

A Golbat came out with a prideful roar.

Hana, Pikachu and Ivysaur flinched. "M-Miss Ignis, that's..."

"The fella that did this," the ravenette replied with a laugh. "Anyways... hey, Golbat."

The Golbat's ears perked and it turned towards its new Trainer. Seeing Ignis' left arm turned purple, it cackled evilly. Hana could hear it in her head- _'serves you right'_ , the bat seemed to say.

Ignis smiled, however, to everyone's confusion. "I caught you... so you're my Pokémon now."

In response, Golbat scowled.

"Do you think it's possible to... drain the venom out of me?" she asked. "If it's within my veins... you can suck it out, right...?"

"...! Wait, Miss Ignis!" Hana exclaimed "But to do that, it has to-"

"Suck more of my blood, yeah," Ignis finished the sentence for her. "I think it's better than being a test subject... or taking too long though..."

The blonde stared at her with disbelief, before turning to the Golbat. It seemed mildly interested in the offer. "...n-no, that's still risky..."

Ignis shook her head. "It's fine... it'll be fine. I trust in this fella," she whispered.

"W-why? Or actually, h-how can you do that?" Hana asked, the Pikachu nodding.

The ravenette didn't answer the question. However, she turned towards the Pikachu. "Hey, Pikachu. If this guy does anything bad... do whatever you want, 'kay?"

Despite not being under her ownership, the Pikachu nodded.

Then, she grinned at Golbat. "If you want, buddy... I'll even let you go if you help me..."

Golbat stared at her.

Her grin didn't fade at all.

In fact, she seemed to be prepared for whatever it would do- whether it'd result in her death or her survival.

...the Golbat flew in front of her.

"W-wait... you..." Hana said. The Golbat turned slightly, staring her in the eye. "...I... I beg you, please..." she whispered.

The Golbat turned back to Ignis. Then it sunk its fangs into her left arm.

Hana watched.

Pikachu watched.

Basil the Ivysaur watched.

All the Clefairy and Clefable and Geodude watched.

...

It sucked.

...

And it sucked.

...

And it sucked.

...

Then the purple color began fading away from her arm.

Hana broke into a huge smile and dropped her sword. "Miss Ignis!"

Ignis smiled and flashed her thumb to the blonde. "T-told you it'd be fine..." she said.

The blonde nodded and was about to grab the girl's hand happily, but the Golbat was still sucking. "H... hey! That's... that's enough now!"

Ignis' Golbat sucked for another second, then released the girl's left arm and rolled its eyes as it landed on a nearby boulder.

Hana examined her friend's arm- the purple tint had completely disappeared. However, the arm itself was slightly thinner than the girl's other arm. Hana blinked, before sending the Golbat a glare.

Behind her, Basil sighed with relief. The stray Pikachu also seemed content.

Ignis snickered. "Even you're happy, Pikachu? My..."

The Pikachu widened its eyes and growled at her, before glaring at Basil who was knowingly nudging its sides with his vines. " _Pika pi..._ "

 _"Saur, saur!_ "

At that moment, Terra stirred.

The group looked over to the brunette, as she slowly pushed herself up. "Ugh... my head..." she muttered. Then she noticed everyone looking at her. "...m-morning..."

"Glad you're okay too, Terra," Ignis said.

Terra looked at her friend. "Oh, hey, Iggy." She blinked. "...?" Then she noticed Hana hands around the ravenette's left arm. And she glared. Then she raised an eyebrow. "...say, where are we?"

"Still Mt. Moon," Ignis said.

"Seriously...?" she muttered. Then she noticed several dark stones in the walls and grounds of the cave. "Whoa. This kinda looks beautiful."

Chuckling, her childhood friend grabbed one and threw it to her. "These are Moon Stones. Keep one, it'll be helpful," Ignis suggested, thinking of Terra's female Nidoran.

Terra caught the stone and nodded. "Uh, okay..."

Feeling slightly better now, Ignis got up. "Welp, that's that." She looked up and waved at her Golbat. "Thanks for the help, big guy. You can go now, if you want."

The Golbat stared at Ignis, then looked away. It didn't fly away, however.

"...I still do not trust that creature..." Hana muttered.

"Eh, you'll overcome it soon enough. That asides..." Ignis observed the giant clearing. "This really is a beautiful area, what with all these Moon Stones..." She bent down and picked another stone up. The girl then noticed some Clefairy frowning at her. She stared at them, then at the stone, before smiling. "Hey, Clefairy! Catch this," she said.

One of the staring Clefairy smiled and caught it. It then began glowing white.

"It's... it's evolving?" Terra said. Then she remembered what evolutionary stones were and gasped. "Oh! The Moon Stone can evolve some Pokémon, right! That's why you gave it to me- my Nidoran!"

Ignis nodded. "Just helping out."

Meanwhile, the Clefairy morphed into a Clefable under its glowing form, and when the light faded, it cheered and danced with the other Clefairy and Clefable.

"...cute," Hana whispered.

"Isn't it?" Ignis chimed.

The three and their Pokémon then spent a minute or two watching the Clefairy and Clefable dance. They occasionally pulled other of their own species to dance as well, and in few cases it dragged some Geodude that gave up after several seconds of persuasion.

When they finished dancing, they bowed and cheered.

Ignis couldn't help but smile as she felt memories of her prom experience rush through her head.

She wasn't much of a social person, nor a dancer, but she definitely had her own group during her time. She wasn't popular, but she wasn't unknown either.

In fact, she recalled boasting to her family that she was a 'popular unpopular'- one of the people who aren't 'popular popular', but popular amongst the unpopulars. Or basically, just really good friends with a group of normal or unpopular students.

The girl was feeling nostalgic as she kept watching the group of dancing pink Pokémon, until the ground suddenly shook. "W-whuh-"

Footsteps grew loud from one of the paths connected to the clearing. The three got up and apprehensively faced different paths to prepare for battle.

Then a man in a white lab coat stumbled out. His glasses shattered upon contact with the ground.

Ignis blinked. "Uh...?"

He pushed himself up and, ignoring the broken shards of his broken spectacle, he noticed the three girls.

"Y-you three! You've got to help me!"


	13. Rockets and Fossils Galore

"P-please help me!" the man who seemed like a scientist exclaimed.

 _Did something like this happen in the games?_ Ignis wondered. There was a tiny feeling in her mind that something else important was in Mt. Moon, but she just couldn't figure it out...

Terra quickly went over to the man. "A-are you okay?" she asked.

"That doesn't... forget me! Just h-help me!" the man said.

The brunette didn't understand him at all.

Hana frowned and walked over to the man. She focused her ears on the sound of multiple footsteps following him. "...Miss Terra, let's carry him a bit back," she said.

"Uh, okay..." The two helped the man up to his feet and properly brought him over to where Ignis stood, where they assumed he should be safe.

The blonde then looked at the path the man came from- suddenly, around three more men darted out. "That's...!"

"T-Team Rocket!?" Ignis exclaimed. _Wait... was there a fossil event here?_

"Stop right there!" one of the grunts yelled and pointed to the injured man. "You! Hand over the fossils!"

 _Shit, I thought it'd be much later..._ the ravenette thought and gulped. "Hold on, now. What're you three planning?"

The grunts stared at her, then exchanged glances.

"Ha! There's no need for us to tell a little girl anything, but I suppose we'll explain it to you, duncehead!"

 _Duncehead... that's new._

"Us Team Rocket are going to gather all the fossils we can find and revive them all!"

"And then, we will add those prehistoric Pokémon to our army and be closer to conquering the world!"

Terra frowned. "Wait, what about space? Why're you guys called Team Rocket?"

The grunts snickered. "Well, that's..." they began, but paused. They exchanged glances, then whispered amongst themselves.

"...hey, wait!" one of them suddenly shouted. "Stop trying to distract us and hand over the fossils already!"

Ignis stared at the injured man.

He shook his head. "I'm... I'm not handing them over! I worked hard, day and night, to find these. Fossils are my life! I'd rather die than hand them over!"

 _Uh, you'd be dead if they kept attacking you for it anyways._ She smiled. "It's alright, mister. We'll handle this for you- we've got a bone to pick with Team Rocket anyways."

"We do?" Terra asked.

"We can't let these... these fakers commit any more heinous deeds that soils my father's company's name!"

Ignis stared at Hana. Then she remembered what the girl said in Viridian Forest. "Oh... right. Yeah, that."

The three grunts seemed to be waiting for them to finish talking, and grab their Pokéball. "Done planning your futile plans yet?"

"Sure are!" Ignis replied. "Basil! Tie them all up!"

"Wait, what-"

 _"Saur!"_ the Grass-type roared and stretched its vines towards the three grunts. They barely managed to scream before her Ivysaur successfully wrapped the three together, allowing almost no movement from them.

"G-gah! That's cheating!"

Ignis laughed. "Sure isn't," she said.

"Wow... that's... and here I was thinking we'd have to battle," Terra commented.

Hana smiled. "Well, now all that is left is to interro-"

"Not so fast!" the grunts exclaimed. Suddenly, their hands- which were tightly sealed besides them- dropped their Pokéball. Ignis thought this was them giving up, but somehow, one way or another, all the balls landed on their buttons and clicked. "Get them, fools!"

Immediately, two Rattata, two Zubat, two Sandshrew and one Ekans appeared in front of them. They hissed at Ignis' group and, save for the Zubat, rushed towards it.

"Free us from these damned vines," they instructed the Zubat, which began to bite on Basil's vines.

Basil winced. _"S-saur..."_

Ignis pointed forward. "Hana, Terra, you two fight those Pokémon!" she said.

"O-okay! Squirty, Petal, let's go!" Terra exclaimed and threw her respective Pokéballs, summoning her two Pokémon. "...oh, and Ranne too, I suppose!"

"Emma! I'm leaving things to you!" Hana said. "And Mel... well... I believe we can fight even if you ran out of stingers!"

Their Pokémon nodded and faced the group of opponents rushing towards them.

The two impatient Rattata jumped first, aiming its large teeth at the group.

"P-Petal, String Shot!"

"Mel! String Shot!"

The two's Bug-type Pokémon nodded and shot strings at the Rattata. Tangled within the sticky lines, the Rattata fell early to the ground as they struggled to free themselves.

"Squirty! Bubble!" Terra shouted. Her Squirtle nodded and spat out some bubbles towards the fallen Rattata. They were about to make contact, but two Sandshrew jumped out and slashed the bubbles into thin air. "A-ah... damn."

An Ekans then slid in front of them, aiming its maw at Squirtle.

Hana raised her hand. "Mel! Harden!"

Her Kakuna blocked the Ekans' path and hardened its shell. The Ekans bit onto its shell, frowning as it couldn't bite through the hard shell at all.

"Now! String Shot again!" Suddenly, the Ekans found itself being wrapped in sticky white lines directly from in front of it.

"Squirty! Tackle!"

"Emma! Ember!"

The two starter Pokémon prepared their attacks and rammed/burned the Ekans savagely, ignoring its screams until it fainted. They high-fived in delight, until the Sandshrew from before jumped them.

Terra tightened her fists. "Petal! String Shot! Squirty! Water Gun!"

Her Caterpie spewed strings from behind, but the Sandshrew was prepared. They turned around mid-air to slash the strings away, but then at that moment, her Squirtle spewed a huge volume of water at the two, causing them to be pushed away. Coincidentally, they landed on top of the tied up Rattata, and although the rats weren't rendered unconscious, it sure seemed like the two Ground-types were quite heavy.

"Now, everyone! Attack those remaining four!" the two girls yelled together.

Exchanging glances, their Charmander, Squirtle, Caterpie and Kakuna then jumped towards the two tangled Rattata and recovering Sandshrew. Charmander scratched the group with its claws, Squirtle rammed them with its shell, Caterpie tackled them with its body, and the Kakuna did the same with its hardened shell.

It only took seconds before the four were sent to their Trainers' feet, unable to battle anymore.

"D-damn it, you bastards are good..." one of the grunts muttered.

"W-what's taking these stupid idiots so long to free us!?" another grunt asked, returning their focus onto their Zubat- but the annoying critters had fell to the ground, covered in vines that sprouted from their own bodies, fast asleep. "W-what the...?"

"Surprised?" Ignis asked. "While they were stuck biting Basil's vines, I him him shoot Leech Seed on all of them," she explained.

They dropped their jaws, then growled at their Zubat. "You damn incompetent idiots!" one shouted, kicking his Zubat.

Suddenly, air waves struck the ground next to them.

Everyone flinched, and looked up. Ignis' Golbat had flew down from the rock it rested on, glaring at the trio of misfits. _"Gol..."_

The three Rocket grunts gulped. "I-is... is that..."

"Golbat? Yep," Ignis said. "And I don't think the guy likes how you kicked your Zubat," she added.

They began shaking with fear as the huge bat swooped down upon them. The Golbat then seemed to grin maliciously.

Suddenly, the vines holding them snapped, to Ignis' and her Ivysaur's surprise. "H-ha! I'm free! I'm outta here!" one of the grunt exclaimed.

The others were shocked, before freeing themselves from the traces of the vines and following suit. "W-wait! Don't leave me!"

"I-I don't want to die yet!" the third grunt shouted.

The trio then disappeared.

For good, the girls hoped.

Sighing, they began to relax. "Glad that they're gone now," Terra said.

Hana frowned. "...we could've interrogated them," she said.

Ignis blinked. "...oh yeah." She stared at Basil's broken vines, which regrew itself. "...how'd they even break through though? Some people are just amazing."

The injured man resting behind them smiled and clapped. "T-that was brilliant, you girls! Thank you for saving me from those goons, they were pestering me to hand over the fossils I found repeatedly! I'm so glad they're gone now." He sighed and pulled out two relics from underneath his white lab coat. "If anything happened to these babies, I'd... I'd...!"

Hana stared. "...babies?"

Ignis snickered. "Again, some people have their fetishes," she simply explained.

The scientist rolled his eyes. "Don't judge."

"...wait, so you really-"

"Ah, whatever. Anyways, if you girls want one of these fossils, you'll have to beat me and take it from my hands!" he suddenly yelled. The three girls stared at him with disbelief. "...w-well, at least that's what I would've said if I actually had any Pokémon left available to fight." Sighing, he extended the two to the group. "As thanks for saving me though, you girls can pick one. Not each, just one."

Ignis blinked. _Huh, this guy's nicer than I thought._ "Um... well... hm. What do you two think?"

"I'm afraid I do not know which one is which," Hana said.

Terra smiled. "Well, you see, this curly one is the Helix Fossil. This other one is the... uh... Dome Fossil."

"That's right," the scientist said. "These fossils can be revived at Cinnabar Island into ancient Pokémon that you wouldn't find anywhere else today. The Helix Fossil becomes an Omanyte, and the Dome Fossil becomes a Kabuto."

"...I still do not know about those species," Hana muttered.

Ignis smiled. "Well, I think I'll go for the Helix Fossil then." _Gotta respect Lord Helix, haha. Great meme._ She picked the left one from his hands. "Thanks, mister. Now..." She then directed their gazes to the unconscious Pokémon belonging to the three Rocket grunts who ran away. "...what should I do about these?"

The scientist adjusted his glasses. "Well... I suppose you girls won't be able to capture them?" They stared at him. "Of course not, they're already under someone's ownership... then I suppose it's up to me," he said.

"What're you going to do?" Terra asked.

He smiled. "I'll just take them in and help them recover, for the time being. Perhaps if those three don't come back peacefully to reclaim them, I'll have these little guys help me with future fossil excavations."

"..you're a nice person," Ignis commented.

"Where'd that come from...?" Extending a hand, the man smiled at Ignis. "I'm the Super Nerd Miguel. Nice to meet you, um.."

"Ignis. Ignis from Pallet Town," the ravenette replied.

Terra cheered. "I'm Terra! Also from Pallet Town!"

"I'm... Hana, from Saffron City."

Miguel then pointed towards the path the grunts ran into. "That path should lead to an exit, and you should be able to get to Cerulean City."

"Oooh, where do the other paths lead to?" Terra asked.

"Just some dead ends and back to this place."

"Oh."

Ignis smiled. "That's plenty useful. Thanks, Super Nerd!" She turned to her friends. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Eh, sure," Terra replied.

"I'd be glad to," Hana said.

Ignis turned to Golbat. "What do you say?" she asked. "Want to come with me?"

The Golbat stared at her, before rolling its eyes. However, it didn't fly away, and reluctantly stepped besides her.

"Haha. Good guy. And you, Pikachu?"

The Pikachu stared as well, then mimicked what her Golbat did.

Ignis smiled. "Glad to have you on board, Pikachu."

"W-whoa, look! Petal's evolving!"

...well, she supposed they could observe her friend's evolving caterpillar first before going.


	14. Safe yet Troublesome

"Holy fuckarons!"

Ignis screamed as the three jumped out the cave's mouth, landing on the now-appreciated cool grass outside whilst the swarm of Zubat chasing them stopped and retreated back into the cave of nightmares. Sighing with relief, she faced frontwards again.

"Finally safe at last," she announced.

Her companions chimed in their respective sighs. "Good thing, too," Terra groaned. "Anymore running and my legs would be dead..."

"It certainly has been chaotic," Hana said and glanced at Ignis' left arm.

The ravenette noticed this and smiled. "My arm'll be fine. Lil' buddy here got rid of all poison, right?" she motioned to her Golbat, who grinned.

Hana narrowed her eyes. "...I still do not trust that creature."

"Eh, understandable," Ignis said, to the dismay of the Golbat. Not that the latter minded it any more than a second. "...I think I'll call you Krow," she said to her Golbat.

It shrugged its wings and latched onto her shoulder again.

"Alright, you're Krow then. And Pikachu... well, I know you refuse to let me capture you, but I'll just call you Pika." _Classic naming like Red. Ahaha, great manga, indeed._ As Ignis said that to her new rodent Pokémon, said electric mouse rolled its eyes and looked away. _Man, what a tsundere. If that's even the correct term._

"...so, what's after this?" Terra asked. "Hopefully no more caves."

"Nah, should be fine," Ignis replied and pointed straight forward. "I can kinda see Cerulean City from here, slightly. And that scientist dude... uh, Miguelo? Yeah, he said Cerulean City's up ahead. Remember?"

"Uh, sure." The brunette tilted her head. "...was his name really Miguelo?" she then asked.

Ignis shrugged.

"More importantly," Hana interrupted, "we should probably get there before conducting anymore battles. We do not have any Potions left, after all."

 _That, too, and I'm kinda sleepy,_ Ignis thought. "Right. ...what're we waiting for, then? Let's get going!"

The three began trekking towards the city in the distant.

Terra then wondered. "...maybe we should have your Basil carry you, Iggy."

"No, I'm fine, jeez. The arm's not that bad now..." Ignis reassured.

" _Saur!_ " her Basil chimed.

She sighed. "Maybe later. Not now."

"Okay... / _Saur..._ "

* * *

Within a minute of undisturbed walking, the three smiled when they reached the entrance of the city.

"Whoa, Cerulean City..." Ignis whispered. _God damn I love that cities look better in reality than in games,_ she thought. _Otherwise it'd be one hell of a dull city,_ she figured. "This seems like a nice place."

"Is there a festival going on?" Terra asked, noticing the faint sound of music and some people dancing a distance away from them. "I think there's a festival going on. What day is it today?"

Hana counted on her fingers. "Um... I believe it is-"

"Not like that," Terra muttered as she rolled her eyes.

Ignis simply shrugged. "Maybe it's a daily fun thing." Not that she cared much about festivals. The girl walked towards the local Pokémon Center. "Welp... I could use a short nap," she said nonchalantly.

Her partners followed her, the brunette slightly confused. "It's still morning though."

"To be fair, it's been one hell of a morning," Ignis replied.

"Touché."

The trio entered the iconic center and nodded as its respective Nurse Joy greeted them. Asked if they would like to have their Pokémon recovered, the three recalled their Pokémon into their Pokéballs and handed them over- asides from Pikachu, who simply got onto the counter on his own free will and refused to be captured. Not a problem.

Nurse Joy smiled. "I shall heal them by the time you come back. Here's the key to your rooms," she said and exchanged the key with the group's money.

Ignis blinked, slightly puzzled, before making her way to their assigned room. "...huh."

"You seem... unsettled," Hana said.

"I just... eh. Pewter's Nurse Joy seemed a lot more... hm."

Terra scratched her head. "If I remembered correctly, they were all sisters... or so they told me before." She laughed. "That's got to be a joke though, right? It'd be kinda weird for an entire healing business thing to be run by an entire family of relatives..."

"...I mean..." Ignis muttered. She definitely remembered the Pokémon anime's Nurse Joys all revealed to be part of a family... or something like that. And Officer Jennies too. Now that she thought about it, such a large family seems quite... wild. "...eh, whatever."

She stopped at a door and unlocked it with the given key, then walked inside. Terra quickly rushed through to hop onto the bed, gleefully bouncing atop like a little child. She rolled her eyes.

"Are you really going to do that with every center we stop at?" she asked.

"Maybe..." Terra replied.

Hana headed over to the restroom. "I... shall take a shower for now, if you don't mind," she said. "...even if it's still morning."

 _What an amazing morning indeed,_ Ignis thought. "Sure. Take your time."

After waiting a while, Terra looked outside the window. "So what're you going to do now?" she asked.

"Uuh... dunno. Haven't thought about that."

Her friend pointed outside with a smile. "You wanna... check out the stuff with me?"

"The... oh, outside." _Right. Festivals or something, maybe?_ Ignis rubbed her chin. It did seem like it'd be something enjoyable. Then again, it's not like she often partook in festivals in her world, she preferred to stay home. But perhaps... "You'd love to look around, wouldn't you?"

"Huh? Uh... yeah," Terra replied.

Ignis smiled. "Well, sure. ...after a nap."

The brunette stared. "...a nap? Now?"

"One hell of a morning," Ignis repeated after plopping back down on her bed, eyes at the ceiling.

Her friend rolled her eyes, but couldn't disagree. "Then after the nap, can we go check stuff out?"

"Sure. A nap, and then go wild. Call it a date or whatever."

"A da..." Terra blinked. Slowly, her face turned red. "Huh? Iggy, hold on..." Unfortunately, the ravenette was already fast asleep. The brunette blinked again, before smiling helplessly. "Guess it took a huge toll on her..." Sighing, the girl looked back outside the window again. _I just wanted to hang out with you..._

...Ignis grimaced, faking her sleeping status. _...why the hell did I say that?_ she thought to herself.

In silence, the two did their nothings and one slowly drifted off to sleep- for real this time.

* * *

 _"...wow. One hell of a morning, huh?"_

Ignis blinked. She looked around- seven familiar pure white silhouettes, seven familiar roman numerals. "...do I come here every time I sleep now, or what?"

 _"It would seem to be like that, Miss Ignis, yes,"_ **III** said.

She sighed. "Well, whatever... A nap's a nap, this is good instead of dreaming and oversleeping."

 **I** snickered. _"Excited for the date, I presume?"_ it asked. Ignis glared at it, but unsuccessfully. _"Ooh, shy one."_

 _"One of these days, she's going to beat you senseless,"_ **IV** muttered.

 _"Haha, I don't think so,"_ **I** replied.

"Oh, I think otherwise," Ignis muttered, unaware of red streaks surfacing on her cheeks.

 _"Well, that's it for me then."_

"That asides..." She turned to the most normal one here, **V**. "I know I was just here yesterday so there's probably nothing new, but... anything new?"

 **V** stared. _"...well, naturally but regrettably, nothing right now."_

The girl sighed. "Just as expected."

 _"However, we can discuss things anytime, if you come to a conclusion about anything. Anything could suddenly unlock new answers, after all."_

"True, true... well, all I got is the crap happening this morning after all."

 _"Ah, the morning with all the bats and rocket clowns,"_ **VII** said. _"Amusing that you're alive now."_

 _The hell's amusing at all?_ Ignis scratched her head. "Only thing I got is stuff backing the previous stuff about how the world's rather different from my games." Noticing the titans lean forward to listen, she shrugged. "Originally, I'd only find the Pokémon in their first forms, but during the ordeal, waiting for Pika and Basil, I definitely noticed there were evolved Pokémon in the cave. Even more so, the fact that I encountered and caught a Golbat should've been impossible."

 _"Ah, yes, you did catch a Golbat recently..."_ **III** mused.

 **II** shrugged, however. _"I think I slightly understand what you mean, but... it's a rather natural thing for Pokémon in their evolved forms to exist in the wild. After all-"_

"I know," Ignis interrupted. "...I know. That's exactly why this prophecy is definitely harder- I may have prior knowledge and experience breezing through the region-saving, but as you can see..." she paused, then sighed. "What I had was a handicap. A handicap that I no longer have here. If anything, it's now possible that I could... _die_."

 **IV** gulped. _"T-that's a rather... serious assumption. What if-"_

 _"No, that actually makes sense,"_ **V** said. _"Pokémon aren't just harmless creatures after all- Golbat, for example, are said to be able to drink up to or more than 300mL of blood."_

 _"Yeah, but that's 'up to', not 'always',"_ **I** commented.

"...not necessarily, but regarding that," Ignis muttered. "I read the Pokédex on Golbat recently... it's said they often _overfeed_ to the point of being unable to fly, and would keep drinking regardless... something like that."

 _"...that's a lot to feed on..."_ **VI** said.

Ignis nodded. "If things turned out badly, I could've actually di... wait, how much blood does a human have?"

The titans exchanged glances. Then they stared at **V** , who sighed. _"An average adult human has... 5 liters of blood, if I recall correctly."_

Ignis blinked. "...uh."

 _"5,000mL of blood."_

 **III** rubbed its chin. _"So 300mL or more from 5,000mL is drunken by Golbat naturally... that's indeed a lot, yes."_

"And that's not accounting for all the other Zubat, or any more Golbat that could've been there, or the blood loss afterwards," Ignis added. "If anything, I'm surprised I really am alive right now."

 **VII** scratched its head. _"...to be honest, I'm sure we'd all love to assist you somehow, but it's not like we're magical creatures who can give you higher defense or anything..."_

The girl sighed. "No, that's fine. I'm just going to have to adapt to this situation and live through it somehow."

 **II** nodded. _"Now that's the perfect resolve. I'll be rooting for you, Miss Ignis."_

Suddenly, the girl began fading in and out. "What the..."

 _"It seems you're about to wake up,"_ **V** said.

"Oh, right, I was taking a nap. Guess I'm already oversleeping, haha."

The other titans chuckled, and waved to her. _"Stay safe, Miss Ignis. We'll try to support you with more information when available, so don't die out there."_

"Thanks, Three."

With a whoosh, the girl was gone from their dimension.

The titans exchanged glances. _"I don't know about you all, but I have a feeling she'll survive,"_ **VI** said.

 _"You think?"_ **I** said. _"GIrl smacked a Golbat against the wall just to catch it instead of running away. Lost a lot of blood to that, too. I say she'll survive, but get in lots of danger."_

 **VII** snickered. _"It worked, didn't it?"_

 _"Anything could've gone wrong, jeez..."_

 **V** cleared its throat. _"Regardless, we have no other choice than to believe in her. She is, after all, the prophecized hero of Kanto... no, the world, perhaps."_

 _"Right,"_ the other Titans nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Shhh... she'll wake up... ah," Terra whispered, frowning upon looking back at her friend and seeing the girl's eyes open.

Hana's hands were fumbling like a mess. "I- ah, I'm sorry, I didn't think..."

"Uhhhhhhuhu... sleepy." Ignis stretched her arms, then scratched her head. "So... what's up now?" she asked.

Terra sighed. "You looked so peaceful sleeping so I thought you wouldn't want to be woken up..."

"B-but it seems I was a bit too loud, I accidentally dropped my sword while grabbing it..." Hana said. "I- I deeply apologize, Miss Ignis!"

"I-it's fine, it's fine," Ignis said. "I was intending to just take a light nap, after all..." Sighing, the girl got up and did some more stretches. "Alright, then... Terra, ready to go?"

Her two companions blinked. "Huh? Go where?" Terra asked.

"You wanted to check out the festivals, didn't you?" Ignis asked. "I'm all ready and charged up. Wanna go on the date now?"

"D-d-date!?" Hana yelped, as Terra turned red again.

The ravenette snickered. "Well, I call it that, but it's just looking around and having fun, resting for the day. You want to come too?" she asked.

To that, Hana blinked and then turned even redder. "M-me!?"

Terra, meanwhile, was also quite speechless.

Ignis smiled. "Sure, I mean... I'm sure Terra wouldn't mind that. Three's more fun than two, am I right?"

"W-well, yeah, but I..." Hana paused and looked over to Terra, who seemed to be lost in thought. "...n-no, it's alright..."

"Aw, really?" the Pallet Town girl said. "Well, that's okay too I guess. Don't bore yourself to death now," she said with a chuckle. "C'mon, Terra. Let's rock the city!"

Terra blinked, and then got up with a smile. "O-okay, right! I'll be right there with you, Iggy! Go on ahead first."

"Sure, sure..." Her voice faded away.

Terra breathed out. "Wow, that was... wow."

Hana chuckled. "You two are rather close, aren't you?"

"Mmhm..." The brunette stared at the blonde, puzzling the swordsgirl.

"M... Miss Terra? Is... is there something wrong?"

"..." Terra stared a bit more, before looking away. "No, it's nothing."

Hana blinked. "...o-okay...?"

The brunette grabbed her phone and purse and headed towards the room's door. "...I'll be back," she said reluctantly.

"M-mnn, see you...?"

As the girl exited the room and headed towards the waiting Ignis, she growled mentally.

 _Don't you_ dare _take her away from me,_ she hissed within her mind.


	15. Cerulean, the Floral Lagoon City

"So," Ignis began as she looked around, "this is Cerulean City, huh?"

The city, like Pewter Town, looked far more active than its game counterpart. Granted, it was still somewhat lacking, but there were more houses than she recalled (assuming she remembered the layout correctly) and definitely more people than she expected there'd be. She figured it was natural anyways, since for convenience Pokémon games always had rather small... 'cities'.

Speaking truthfully, most of the 'cities' she encountered as a game were something she'd consider more as 'villages'. But now, as her reality, she understood once more that these were in fact cities, and not villages. Then again, she had no idea what the difference was.

"Yup. The Floral Lagoon City," Terra said.

Ignis blinked. "The what in the who now?"

"The Floral Lagoon City! That's what most people say is the city's nickname," the brunette informed. "Although I think more officially it's called 'the town of bursting water'.

 _The hell? I never heard of this crap,_ the her friend thought. "I... I see..." _Well, maybe it's because I'm not too interested in locations that I didn't notice this stuff._ "Oh, look. A cotton candy stand. Neat." She went over and pulled some coins from her wallet. "Two please."

"Got it!"

Terra stared. "One for me too?"

"Yep. They're good stuff." _Not that I'd know..._ Ignis thought. Back in her world, sometimes her school would host festivals or events as well, and in almost all of them cotton candy were a commonly sold treat. Her pride prevented her from going to get any in front of her family or friends, however, as... well, it seemed like something only childish people and children would enjoy, despite the fact that all her friends easily bought the sweet treat.

Of course, that was ages ago. This was now.

They waited some seconds, then gladly received it from the person behind the stand. "Thanks, mister," Terra said as Ignis spotted something else and ran to check it.

The man smiled. "No problem. Go enjoy the Water Festival with your lady over there!"

"I... she's not... ehehe..." the brunette muttered, once again turning slightly red. Ignis suddenly quickly came back, however, and pulled her by the arm.

"Terra, come look! It's a Squirtle keychain!"

"O-oh, a Squirtle keychain, huh?" She looked to where Ignis brought her and smiled. "Heh, just like Squirty."

"...ah, we forgot to get out Pokémon," Ignis suddenly said.

Terra shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it'd take a bit longer."

"Yeah, but at Pewter City it didn't take that long as well. This time I even took a nap..."

"...well, we could always go back to get them later."

Ignis mused her options. Eventually she thought it would be fine- they could bring their Pokémon here again this evening, perhaps. And maybe Hana too. "...sure! We should enjoy all this stuff for now, shouldn't we?" she said cheerfully.

"...heehee. Iggy, you're kinda like a child right now."

"A-am I?" Ignis said, stopping her excitement. _D-did I get too excited?_ "S-sorry, I, uh-"

Terra put a finger to her lips. "No, no, it's fine. I think you're most adorable when you're being honest, Iggy."

"I, uh... um?" She had no idea how to respond to that, but rather, felt embarrassed by both the compliment and her child-like excitement. _But I mean, I never really took my time with festivals... but... uuuu..._ The two stared at each other, before laughing together. "W-well, I mean, okay then... it's embarrassing though..."

"Iggy, silly. Nothing to be embarr-"

"Whoa! A Starmie necklace!" Ignis interrupted upon spotting it at another stand. "Let's go check the price!"

Dragged around yet again, Terra stifled a laugh. "Oh, you're hopeless."

Time passed by rather quickly, but amidst the moment itself, it almost felt like it'd last forever. They went around looking at and enjoying so many things, the two were starting to lose track of the first few things. From various Pokémon-based accessories and charms, to funny parody masks, to colorful swimsuits, to public Pokémon battles- that were for fun, and not from conflicts, of course. At least they hoped so.

Somehow she even got to witness a battle between a Gyarados and a Dewgong. Her Pokédex was filling up with Pokémon pictures (but not the entries themselves) a lot faster than she expected.

To her surprise, there weren't only Kanto Pokémon that she saw being used by Trainers or others as a motif for accessories. Of course, only the real ones she saw were recorded into the Pokédex, so the masks and accessories didn't contribute to her Pokédex progress. Not that she cared much for that anyways.

"Oh, look! It's a Mudkip!" Ignis said as she spotted one playing with a young boy. "Hehe. I liek Mudkipz."

"You do?"

"...no, it's, uh... a meme... meh." Ignis blinked as she focused somewhere else. _Does this world have the same memes as my world? Hmm._ "Say, how long does this festival last again?" she asked.

The brunette scratched her head. "I, uh... I'm not sure." She turned to a nearby person. "Excuse me, how long does this festival last again?"

"Hm?" The man blinked. "Well, this is the monthly Water Festival. It always last two days. You're new to Cerulean City, aren't you?" he asked.

Terra and Ignis faked their laughter. "H-haha, yeah, well... yeah."

"Well, that's great! Nice to meet you two. Do you need help navigating the city?"

"N-no, it's alright, we can manage," Ignis said. "It's not too hard to travel around, despite the crowd."

He laughed in return. "That's good to hear. Did you two perhaps come to challenge our Gym Leader?"

 _Gym Lea... oh yeah, Misty!_ Ignis quickly nodded. "Sort of! We also came here to heal our Pokémon and get away from Mt. Moon."

"Ooooh. Must be the Zubat, I'm assuming." The three shared another round of light laughter. When they ran out of topics to discuss, the man turned away. "Hmm... let's see, you see that building over there? You know what that is."

"Oh, it's the gym!" Terra said. "Isn't that great?"

"That's... next to the Pokémon Center," Ignis noted. "...how'd we miss that?"

"Haha. The good thing about that is you can go heal anytime before fighting with Misty, after clearing the other battles."

"Oooh, I see. That's good to know!" _Of course, I already do that in the games,_ Ignis thought. "Well, thanks for the info. We'll be visiting the gym now!"

Terra blinked. "Eh, we are?"

"Wouldn't hurt to see inside, you know?" Ignis said.

"...uh, sure, okay." The two bowed to the stranger and headed towards the gym. "What about our Pokémon?" she asked.

Ignis smiled. "I just want to see the inside of the gym for now, I'll go get them later."

The two then neared the nearby Pokémon Center. On the way, Ignis looked at the house next to the healing facility, she spotted a familiar police officer. "Huh... wait, Officer Jenny?" she said, a bit too loudly.

Said woman noticed her and blinked. "Hello. Do you know me personally?"

"I, uh... no. No, not really."

Terra frowned. "Pretty sure I saw you at Pewter City too..." she said.

 _She was?_ Ignis thought.

The teal-haired officer chuckled. "Oh, no, you must be mistaken. That's probably my sister, the one stationed at Pewter."

"The big family gimmick again!?" Terra exclaimed. "First Nurse Joy and then you..."

 _Oh yeah, she's a huge family person too..._ Ignis recalled. It was definitely explored somewhere in the anime, she just couldn't recall put a finger to which season nor episode that was. _But wait, what's she doing outside this house?_ Racking through her memories of the game, she then remembered there being a house that was robbed by a thief. "I-is something the matter with this house?" she asked.

The Cerulean Jenny mused over her thoughts. "Hmm... well, I'm not sure I want to dampen your spirits during the Water Festival, so..."

"Oh, it's alright," Ignis said. "We're travelling Trainers from outside, we just happened to stop by Cerulean City."

At that, the teal haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Trainers from outside, huh? I assume you might be pretty skilled then?"

Terra and Ignis exchanged glances. Then they smiled. "You've got nothing to worry about, miss!" the brunette said. "Iggy here is a great Trainer, I can guarantee!"

Officer Jenny brimmed with delight. "That's great to hear! I could honestly use some assistance right now," she began. "You see, recently someone from this household requested our aid. Apparently a burglar broke in and tried to steal things from their house."

Ignis nodded. "Uh huh..." _Was it Team Rocket? I feel like it definitely was a Team Rocket event..._ she said in her mind, unable to remember any further. "...and you'd like me to help, as a Trainer with decent experience."

"It'd be helping me a lot, really." The woman sighed. "So far, nobody's came outside yet, so I could only hope for the best and not anything grim."

"I'm pretty sure you having a gun is terrifying enough to stop any thief though," Terra said.

Officer Jenny frowned. "True, but... there's no way someone'd resort to thievery without having their own Pokémon. And I'd really hate to shoot innocent Pokémon that just so happened to have fallen to the wrong hands..."

"...same here," Ignis said. "Don't worry, officer! I'll beat the fellow black and blue! You can rest assured, maybe stand guard in case things go wrong." Her fists tightened with excitement- she was going to have another battle again, something she honestly enjoyed.

"Aright then, Miss... Iggy?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ignis sighed and glared at Terra, before turning back to Jenny. "It's actually Ignis, but that's okay. I'm heading inside now!" she said and slowly walked inside the house.

Terra blinked. "I'll stay here, I guess..." she said. Then Officer Jenny and Terra stood silently, awaiting any sort of noise from inside. Eventually, something occurred to Terra. "Wait, don't you officers have your own Pokémon too?" she asked. "If I remembered correctly, Growlithe..."

The Cerulean Officer Jenny laughed nervously. "W-well, um... I might have left my Pokémon at home today, seeing as it _is_ a festival period..."

"...uh huh."

"And, well, I've requested backup to bring my Growlithe to me for now, but nobody has shown up yet..."

"...I, uh, see."

More silent seconds passed by, before something else struck her mind. "Oh crap!" Terra screamed.

Officer Jenny turned to her, surprised. "W-what is it?"

"Our... we forgot to retrieve our Pokémon from Nurse Joy!" the brunette exclaimed.

The teal-haired policewoman stared at the brunette.

"...what."


	16. Rockety-Doo, Executive Ignis

Ignis blinked. There was a huge hole on the walls of the house. Two scared adults lay somewhere nearby, shivering together. "O-oh, thank the gods! A-are you part of the police!?"

"I, uh... kind of?" Ignis said. She was technically siding with the police officers right now, so... it counted. "Here to beat the dude black and blue. Is he inside the hole?" she asked.

"Y-yes! Please, go after him! He stole a valuable item from us!"

The black-haired heroine scratched her head. "Well... sure, okay." She walked into the hole.

Which lead outside. To the backyard of the house.

 _...right. Not a cave._ She definitely saw the outside from the hole. _Why'd I think it was a cave?_

She stopped walking. A member of a certain criminal organization was leaning against the fence, looking at the waters of the city, in a somewhat... cringe-filled manner. She winced. _Is he pretending to be enjoying a smoke and the view?_ She couldn't blame him, if she stole something she'd try to look innocent when outside too. Of course, the man's uniform didn't exactly help him.

A Machop and Drowzee stood next to him, also trying to... 'enjoy' the view.

Ignis blinked. _Hey, couldn't I get their images in the Pokédex now, actually?_ And so she did that.

Then she grinned. _Oh well. Sorry, dude. A girl's gotta do her job._

She reached for her Pokéballs...

...she reached for her Poké...balls...?

She couldn't grab anything. _What the fuck? Where's my...!_

 _The Pokémon Center. I didn't retrieve them yet!_ She gulped. _This is_ not _good..._

The girl began slowly backing out. Confronting any Trainer without any Pokémon prepared would be pretty stupid, especially when they're a criminal, too.

Just as she thought she'd be able to get away safely, the Drowzee sharply turned around, immediately spotting her. _Crap-_

" _Drooowww!_ " it screeched, causing its Trainer and the Machop to also turn towards her.

"Oh for fuck's sake-"

"W-Who the hell are you!?" the Rocket grunt exclaimed.

Ignis raised her hands in the motion a criminal would after being cornered. "W-wait, wait. I, I do not have any Pokémon with me. I, uh, come with no intention of harming you."

The man growled. "I said, who the hell are you!?" he asked once more.

 _Crap... I wonder if I can fool him._ "I'm... uh, I'm here to notify you of an, uh, update." She blinked. _No, I sound way too nervous._

"W... what's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

She cleared her throat, and mustering her vision of a scary face, glared at him. "What do you _think_ I mean?" she growled with a fake annoyed tone.

The man slowly widened his eye. "Y-you... an executive in disguise!?" he exclaimed.

 _Fucking brilliant!_ she screamed in her head. She had him fooled. "I'm... on an important mission here, so I can't afford to get too much attention. However, I'm also to notify any nearby Rocket members of an important update."

He gulped. "Y-yes ma'am!" he exclaimed and saluted.

Ignis nodded. Now... _What the hell should the update be?_ she wondered. If she made up something completely unbelievable, she'd obviously be found out as a fake. That's why she knew she had to come up with something reasonable. _Let's see... they like stealing Pokémon, they might be interested in legendary Pokémon... they also like money... uh?_ Nothing specific she could come up with. _Hmm... time to pull up something good._ "Are you aware of the Pokémon Mew?"

The man tensed. "N... not fully, ma'am. But I've heard of the legends that it's the ancestor to all Pokémon."

 _Oh yeah, that._ "This is a secret amongst most of our organization, but the higher-ups have previously managed to get their hands on the DNA of such an important Pokémon," she said to the awe of the grunt. _Well, at least that was kinda how the manga went, right?_ "We've attempted to clone it, but our project has become something much better... we're trying to create our own Pokémon, but much stronger and powerful than Mew itself!" _Yeah, that's exactly how it went, I'm sure of it._

"I-is that even possible!?" the grunt asked.

"It is, indeed. And now, I'd like to happily announce that the project is almost at its fruition!"

The Rocket grunt was now amazed, and if anything, definitely fooled by her facade. "T-that's amazing! Does that mean that we're one step closer to taking over Kanto?"

 _Huh? I thought their goal was simply to make as much money as possible,_ Ignis thought. _Maybe these grunts are more ambitious than I thought..._ "E-even better! With proper control and management, we might be able to take over the world!"

"That's certainly great news!" the grunt said. "Truly, the world we all deserve to rule is about to become reality!"

Ignis blinked. _Uhhh, right. Delusional people._ "That said, we are still hoping for, uh, nothing to go wrong with the finishing touches on this powerful cloned Pokémon. In the meanwhile, all the grunts are to finish their current duties and... immediately return to our base, post-haste." _What city were they from again? It... Silph Co... something._ Ignis mentally cursed her memory span, but decided to dismiss it for now.

The grunt saluted again. "R-roger, ma'am!"

"That'll be all. Continue with your... whatever you were doing," Ignis said and turned around. _Alright, perfect chance to escape!_

"A-ah, wait, ma'am!" the grunt said. She froze. "I'm actually, um... in the process of escaping. I don't suppose you...'d mind helping me out?" he said sheepishly.

She paled. _Motherfucking hell._ She slowly turned around. "Ahh... like I said, I, uhm, am not armed with Pokémon right now due to... disguise reasons," she said. The grunt sighed, visibly disappointed. _I hope this doesn't make him suspicious of me... maybe I should help a bit?_ "However, seeing as you're an adult, I'm sure you'd know how to swim. The water Pokémon around here shouldn't be too dangerous."

"I-is that so...?" The man glanced at the nearby river. He gulped. "I- I guess I can manage..."

"Oh, hold on." Ignis cleared her throat. "It's always better to do some exercise before you swim, so just do some light exercise before you make your escape." _Can't have you disappearing immediately now..._ she thought.

The grunt saluted. "I- I see! Thank you very much, ma'am!"

Ignis then made her way back into the house. The scared couple saw her and their eyes widened. "H-how did it go!?" they asked.

She sighed. "Well, uh... for now, he should still be there. He's not going anywhere yet, but we better hurry."

They blinked. "W-weren't you here to defeat that man?" the wife asked.

Ignis scratched her head sheepishly. "I... kinda realized I forgot my Pokémon at the Pokémon Center. Officer Jenny's outside though, I'll quickly go get her."

"Oh... o-okay."

The ravenette walked outside the house, where the teal-haired girl and her friend were waiting. "Hey."

"I-Iggy! You're alright!" Terra exclaimed.

"I'm surprised and curious, but that can wait. What's the status?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ignis sighed. "I... had to trick him into thinking I'm a Team Rocket executive..." she muttered.

"Huh."

"T-Team Rocket?" Terra said. "Here? Again!?"

Officer Jenny cleared her throat. "Did you... uh, at least confirm what he stole?"

"Oh. Uh... oh. No. I, uh, forgot about that while faking myself," Ignis said. "But he's probably still there, I think I managed to stall him shortly." Pointing to the house, she prepared to head to the Pokémon Center. "Officer, you go capture him with your Pokémon for now. I'll go get my Pokémon right away!"

Terra and Office Jenny blinked. "...s-sorry, I, uh, can't do that, I'm afraid," the woman said.

"Huh."

She looked away, grinning sheepishly. "I might have... also left my Pokémon today."

Ignis blinked. _Wow, useful you are,_ she thought. _...wait, I'm in the same boat here..._ "Well... go stall him with your gun for now, maybe?"

"Don't worry, Iggy," Terra interrupted. "I called Hana's phone earlier. She should be coming with our Pokémon really soon."

"I'm already here," Hana suddenly said, standing behind her and the officer, both who lightly yelped and jumped away. "S-sorry."

Ignis snickered. "You two didn't notice her at all, huh?"

"S-shut up! Even you didn't see her coming!" Terra exclaimed.

"Uh, no, I was facing your way, I saw her clear as any other day."

Officer Jenny cleared her throat again. "A-anyways. You brought Miss... Ignis? You brought her Pokémon here, am I right?" she asked.

The blonde nodded. "Here's your Ivysaur, Miss Ignis. And your Golbat. And your Pikachu's here," she motioned to her head, which Pikachu was resting on. It rolled its eye and jumped off, landing near Ignis' legs. "As for Miss Terra, here's your Squirtle... Metapod... and... Nidoran. Female."

"...oh, uh, thanks," the brunette said.

The two took their respective Pokéballs and gripped them. "Alright, I'm ready for some action!"

"Sure, Miss Rocket Executive," Officer Jenny said. Ignis turned slightly red as she and her childhood friend snickered, to Hana's confusion.

"Miss Ignis is a what now?" the blonde asked.

Ignis sighed. "I, uh, had to pretend to be an executive Rocket member so he wouldn't kill me, since I didn't have my Pokémon..."

"Ohhh." Hana blinked. "...let's go, Miss Executive!"

"Oh, not you too..." the girl groaned. The group slowly entered the house and exited through the hole, finding the Rocket grunt performing warm-ups. He spotted them and frowned. "Uh... hi," Ignis muttered.

The grunt stared. Then he stared at the other girls of the group. "...well, fuck." he said. "They got you too, huh?'

"What was that?" Officer Jenny asked.

"N-nothing," the grunt growled. "Stay away from me this instant!" He flashed a smile to Ignis, who could immediately tell what he was thinking. _I'll show you I can get away from this situation myself, ma'am!_ he thought confidently.

She nervously nodded. _This guy still believes my crap!?_

Officer Jenny cleared her throat. "I regrettably do not have any Pokémon on hand right now, but if you do not stop, this lady will not hesitate to beat you, you crook!" she said.

Both sides blinked. _Uh?_ the grunt thought.

Ignis flashed an apologetic look. _I'm sorry, I fooled you._

However, that didn't seem to get through. Instead, the Rocket grunt suddenly seemed more... determined? His fists tightened. _Don't worry, ma'am! It's my fault you got involved during your mission. I don't mind if you capture me- I'll find a way to escape myself!_ he thought with a nod.

 _...I feel like there's a misunderstanding here,_ Ignis thought. "R-right. Let's battle this out, shall we?"

"I'm not going to let myself be caught easily! Machop, go!" he commanded. His Machop lunged forward with a battle cry, its arms prepared to perform some... wacky martial arts.

Ignis clicked open a Pokéball. "Krow, Air Cutter!" she said. The bat plopped out and immediately flew up high, out of the Machop's reach, and flapped its wings violently. Slightly visible blades of air flew towards the Machop, who shrieked and ran around trying to dodge. "Supersonic him! Or her!"

Krow quickly followed up its aerial attack with spitting out ring waves, which stopped the Machop's movements immediately upon contact, leaving it staggering with a headache. "M-Machop!"

"Now, Air Cutter again!" Ignis shouted. Krow flapped its wings once more, several air blades slashing the Machop. Being a Flying-type attack, it dealt heavy damage against the Fighting-type Pokémon, and the bat being extraordinarily high-leveled for someone at Ignis' current progress of her adventures, it was an easy victory for them.

"M-Machop, no!" The grunt recalled his Fighting-type and pointed forward. "Drowzee! I'm counting on you!"

"Hmm... Psychic beats Poison, don't they?" Ignis muttered. "Come back, Krow!" Recalling the bat, she was about to summon Basil, but remembered that Ivysaur were part-Poison as well. "...Pika...chu! Thunder Shock!" she quickly said, as the rodent rolled its eyes but prepared to battle regardless.

"Disable!" the Rocket grunt shouted. Pikachu immediately found itself unable to shoot electricity out of its body.

" _P-pika pi!_ " it hissed.

Ignis bit her lips. "Gah, not good... Q-Quick Attack, then!" she said. _I hope it has this move... I should check its moves soon._ Her (temporary) Pikachu nodded and charged itself up, then ramming into the Drowzee.

" _D-drow!_ "

" _Pika!_ "

The girl pointed forward. "One more time! Quick Attack!"

Without giving the Drowzee or the Rocket grunt a chance to retaliate, Pika mercilessly slammed the Drowzee against the fence. It fell unconscious almost immediately after, to the Rocket grunt's dismay.

"D-Drowzee! Gah, such skills... truly an executive...!" the man grunted.

 _Uh, not really?_ Ignis thought. _That was rather too short, actually..._

Officer Jenny, noting the man doesn't have anymore unused Pokéballs, raised her gun. "That's the end of it, now. Put your hands up!"

"O-okay, okay!" the grunt yelled. "I surrender, so have this thing I stole!" he said and took out a familiar disk. "It's TM28, Dig..."

 _What does Team Rocket need with that move?_ Ignis wondered. Then she was given the disk. "...wait, me?"

"Yeah, you defeated me after all," the grunt said. His eyes spoke differently, though- _Bring the disk to our headquarters, we must finish our task at all costs._

 _...does he still think I'm an executive?_ "Uh, right. Thanks, dude."

"Well, that'll have to be returned to the rightful owners," Officer Jenny said. "Miss Ignis, I'm trusting that you'll do that for me?"

"Uh, sure." The grunt stared at her. Ignis winked to him. He smiled with relief. _Wait, did he take that as a wink of assurance, or a wink of deception...?_

"We'll be going now. Thanks for your assistance," the teal-haired woman said and walked away, followed by a cuffed Rocket grunt.

Ignis, Terra and Hana waved to the officer, before exchanging glances. "...so what're we going to do now?" Terra asked.

"Well, first I'm returning this, of course," Ignis said, waving the disk.

Hana smiled. "Truly a benevolent woman you are, Miss Ignis."

"Uh... right." _Sometimes I forget that everyone here is kinda off in the head._

Terra blinked. "...truly an executive!"

She received a groan. "Ugh, stop that..."

The brunette and blonde chuckled.


	17. Cerulean Gym, Let's Go!

The three walked out the house, bowing out of respect as the couple inside waved.

"Huh," Terra voiced. "That old couple sure were kind, letting us have the disk anyways."

"And I certainly thought they'd need it too, seeing as it was something important to them," Hana added.

Ignis shrugged. "Well, I mean... to be fair, they _did_ just want their Diglett to learn Dig, which they'd be able to learn eventually," she said. _More like, I'd be hella shocked if Diglett can't learn Dig... or if they don't already know how to dig,_ she thought. "But yeah, guess we'll be keeping TM28 for a while."

"Indeed, it seems so." They walked past the Pokémon Center, heading towards the city's gym. "What an evening, everyone's still celebrating.." the blonde noted to herself. "Speaking of which, how do TMs work again?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ignis stuttered. _Damn, I don't know the answer to that._ "W-well, uh..."

"That's easy," Terra interrupted. "The Pokémon storage system in Pokémon Centers are able to read these disks and teach Pokémon new moves through brain waves and signals. Or something like that," she explained. "It's nothing harmful, really, and because these disks are... well, disks, it's also unlimited. Just as easily damaged as regular ones though."

 _Oh, is that how it works?_ Ignis thought. _I guess the games had it easier for convenience's sake._

"Although I hear certain people have personal special devices that can read the disks, too, so to save the trouble of having to visit a Pokémon Center." She put her hand to her chin, trying to recall from her memories. "I think... I think Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny are one of such people... and maybe Gym Leaders and the Elite Four... ah, I can't remember."

"Special devices, huh... I see," Hana nodded. "That's pretty interesting, I find."

"...hm." Ignis stopped walking and took out her Pokédex.

"What's the matter, Iggy?:" Terra asked.

"...what if...?" She examined the device, searching for any odd button that she hasn't seen yet. Upon finding one on its side, she pressed it curiously. A slot shot out of the device, then unfolded itself into the size of a... disk. "Whoa."

"Huh. Is that... is that to put a disk in?" Hana asked.

"I... think so." Ignis placed TM28 onto the open slot, to which a flat surface slid out to protect the disk's top. She heard the sound of the disk spinning from within, and was almost reminded of her laptop from her world. The Pokédex lit up.

 _'Scanning... scanning...'_

 _'Disk scanned. Disk ID 28. Contains technique DIG.'_

 _'Scanning nearby eligibility...'_

 _'Scanning complete.'_

 _'List of Pokémon eligible to learn DIG:'_

 _'CHARMANDER, SQUIRTLE, PIKACHU, NIDORAN(F), PSYDUCK, POLIWHIRL, KRABBY.'_

Ignis blinked. Then she looked around- nearby unknowing Trainers were walking around with their respective Pokémon: a Psyduck, a Poliwhirl, and a Krabby. "Ah."

"Whoa, wait, the Pokédex can teach TMs too?" Terra asked. "Sweet! I didn't know that! Why didn't grandpa tell us anything about this, geez!"

"Well, it's not like we'd have been interested at the time of leaving," Ignis said. "But wow, so this is how it works, huh?" She contemplated over the mechanics for a while, before turning to her companions. "So, any of you want a Pokémon to learn Dig?"

"I-is that fine?" Hana asked. "It's yours after all..."

The ravenette scoffed. "Belongs to all of us now."

"But-"

"Because I said so. Now, your Charmander, Terra's Squirtle, Terra's Nidoran, or my Pikachu." She turned to Terra. "If you're sure about what you said, then we can use this disk as much as we want. Who wants to do it?"

"Hmm..." the brunette voiced. "I'm not sure about letting my Water-type turtle do some digging..."

Ignis turned to Hana. "And you? I think your Charmander is more suited to flying, once it... evolves."

"...so it grows wings, huh?" the blonde said. "Well, in that case... I'll have to decline."

"Hmm... right. Pikachu, how about you?" Ignis asked.

The Pikachu following her shook its head, uninterested.

"Huh. Then all we got is... your Nidoran, Terra."

Terra pressed her Pokéball and called out her Nidoran. "Ranne, what do you think?" she asked. "Would you be interested in learning DIg?"

The light-blue Nidoran cocked her head to its side, curious, before it let out a smile and a happy... roar? Small cry. Thing. That seemed to be a 'yes' or 'alright'. Ignis smiled. "Okay then. Tapping Nidoran then..." the girl pressed NIDORAN on her Pokédex screen, which changed.

 _'Teach DIG to NIDORAN(F)?'_

 _'YES or NO'_

"That's a yes," Ignis said. The Pokédex screen turned white, and made a weird noise- that of emitting signals. She watched as nothing happened, then looked to the her friend's Nidoran. "...uh. Nothing's happening."

"Well, of course not. We're just teaching her a new move, it's not like she'll perform it randomly now."

"...touché." The Pokédex screen returned to its dim lighting.

 _'NIDORAN(F) learned DIG. Total: 5 moves.'_

 _Oh? Not a maximum of four anymore?_ Ignis thought. _Must be another game-only gimmick._ "And that's done with. What say we visit the Cerulean Gym now?"

"Eh, now?" Terra asked. "It's evening now though..."

"But it's not like you nor I did anything noteworthy today," Hana pointed out. "...well, I did even less today, if we were to talk more about that."

"Oh, shush."

Ignis grinned. "But you know what they say! The harder you work, the tastier meals are!"

 _I don't think I've ever heard that phrasing,_ Terra thought, _but I kinda know what you mean._ "But Iggy... wait, then that'll benefit only you."

"Oh, right." The ravenette rubbed her chin. "...how about you two battle the Trainers in there while I battle Misty?" she asked.

Terra and Hana exchanged glances. "Huh?"

* * *

"Cerulean Cape, hm?" a girl with bright orange hair murmured, pencil in her mouth. "Didn't know it was that sort of thing..."

She pulled the pencil out her mouth and wiped the non-sharp end, and placed it on the table.

"Well, guess I could keep that in mind." She chuckled to herself. "I could try inviting him there soon..."

Knocks on the door interrupted her daydream. "Uh, Miss Misty?" a voice called.

She growled. " _Lady_ Misty, please."

"Uh... right. Miss Misty, we've got guests looking for you."

 _I said Lady Misty!_ the girl retorted mentally. Realizing she didn't say it out loud, now seeming rather silent to her disciples, she cleared her throat. "R-right, um. Who are they?"

"Two of them are apparently from Pallet Town...?"

Misty's eyes widened. "Oh, they must be the ones Brock told me were coming!" _Fucking asses, you're late!_ she screamed mentally. "...uh, tell them to wait, I'll be there soon." _Thanks to them, I had to wait forever and missed the entirety of today's festival!_ Again, it wasn't said verbally.

"Right. Um. We'll do just that." Footsteps disappeared.

The Water-type expert sighed. "Golly, they sure took their time..." _Way too long, too!_ she added in her mind. "Well, at least I'll get to do some exciting battles today, I suppose."

She opened the door and walked through the secret underground hallways, not even looking at the glass walls where various Water-type Pokémon were swimming around freely. Eventually reaching a dead end, the girl stood on a plate with a Pokéball symbol and pressed a button on the wall. Slowly, the area around her began rising as the ceiling spread apart for her.

Her head slowly appeared to the first floor of her gym. "Alright, I'm here now," she said begrudgingly.

"Wow, appearing from a hidden underground area..." Ignis muttered. "She's like a secret boss."

Misty stared. "...I just showed up and you're already whispering? Arceus, you are one rude girl." Sighing, she walked over to the trio. "Ignis, am I right?"

"Uh... yeah. That's me," Ignis replied.

Misty smiled. "It's been quite some time since I last saw you."

"And I'm also here!" Terra beamed.

"...oh! Terra! Nice to see you again too!" Misty chimed. _Gah. Almost forgot who she was._

The brunette blinked. "...were you thinking of something rude just now?"

Laughing, the Water-type expert waved her hand around. "Whaaat? Of course not, that's stupid! I'd never do that..." _Too sharp. These girls grow too fast._

"...she sure pauses a lot," Hana noted, slightly weirded out by Misty's lack of speech during her obviously rude thoughts.

"She's thinking something rude about us..." Ignis whispered to the group.

"A-anyways, you're here to challenge me, aren't you?" Misty asked. "Well, you're in luck! After having to _painfully_ wait here _through the festival_ for your arrival, I'm all fired up to battle!" she exclaimed and laughed brightly.

Ignis blinked. "...is she trying to tell me something?"

"I... think you should apologize first, Iggy..."

"Agree."

 _The hell?_ "Uh... sorry?"

Misty shrugged. "Well, can't be helped now. Let's get it started, shall we? Triple battle?"

Ignis shook her head. "Oh, uh, wait. We were thinkin-"

"By the way..." MIsty interrupted. "Do any of you so happen to have... Bug-type Pokémon?" she asked.

 _...huh?_ "I don't," Ignis said. _Her bug phobia...'s a thing?_

"I do!" Terra said.

"So do I," Hana said.

"Well then..." Misty muttered and motioned for two nearby Trainers to come to her. "You two, you'll be battling my trainees here."

"...huh," all four- Terra and Hana and the two trainees- exchanged voices of confusion.

Misty snickered. "This is just to, uh, test you two. I'm pretty sure you two aren't interested in badges, but Ignis here probably is, so like, uh, yeah. Do your best," she said.

"...afraid of bugs?" Ignis asked. _That should be an anime-thing though..._

"N-no!" Misty replied harshly. "I'm not afraid of no stupid b-bugs!"

 _Ah, she's afraid,_ the girl realized. _Good ol' Misty. Heh._ "Well, I guess me and Misty'll watch the first match between you four, then?" she suggested. "I want to observe you two too, after all."

One of the trainees raised their finger. "...Misty and I. Not me and Misty. Misty and I."

 _I don't like this guy,_ the ravenette thought.

As to her suggestion, the Water-type expert shrugged. "Ah, sure, I don't mind. Quickly get it over with, though."

"Alright! The stage's all yours, Terra, Hana."

As the two VIPs went to sit at the sidelines to observe, Terra and Hana exchanged glance.

"...pleasure working together?" Hana asked, offering a handshake to the brunette.

Terra narrowed her eyes. "...right," she muttered. "Just don't mess anything up, I guess."

"Uh... sure..."

The two picked a Pokéball from their belts.

"Petal! / Mel!" they called their Pokémon out.

" _Kakkka!_ "

" _Mmmmmme..._ "

Misty immediately tensed. "Luis! Diana! Beat those sickos!"

The two trainees prepared their own respective Pokémon. "Horsea! / Goldeen!"

" _Hooorrrs!_ "

" _Glub glub deeeen!_ "

Ignis smiled. "Terra! Hana! Make sure you win!"

"Got it!" they said in unison. Terra then stared at her opponents. "They're definitely Water-types... Hana! Don't get distracted, okay?"

"I, uh... okay?" the blonde replied, unsure if she even seemed distract. Nevertheless, she had to focus properly indeed. "Mel! String Shot!" she said.

Her Kakuna did exactly that, parting its 'arms' and shooting a string of sticky substance. To her dismay, however, upon contact with water, the strings just... floated around. Not that it even touched her opponents, as they swam out of target before it reached them.

"Ah... the water...!" Hana said.

"Of course that'd happen!" Terra exclaimed. "Petal! Tackle!"

Her green Bug-type Pokémon rocked itself and threw its body towards the nearby Horsea. However, again, the Horsea swam out of the way, causing her Metapod to float alone on the surface of the pool. " _M-mmmmee..._ "

"Aah! Petal!" the brunette shrieked.

Misty blinked. "...you sure they're going to be okay?" she asked.

"...uh." Ignis was starting to get worried. _More like, why didn't you call Squirtle, who'd get around with ease?_ She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Terra! Squirty can move around easily!"

Her friend's eyes widened. "I- I see! Hold on, Petal!" she said and recalled her Bug-type, to Misty's relief. She then called out her starter. "Squirty! Get in the water and start Tackling your opponents!"

" _Squirtle squirtle!_ " Nodding to her words, the Squirtle jumped into the pool and began swimming after the others. However... they were at equal speeds. " _S-squir..._ "

"Hnngg... it's not working...!" Terra whined.

"...I think Terra needs more experience first," Misty commented.

"Touché..." Ignis sighed.

Hana, however, rubbed her chin. "Hmm... what if..." she muttered. "Mel! Prepare to use lots of Poison Stings!" she said.

"P-prepare? What are you even saying?" Terra asked.

"Next up, Miss Terra! Please have Squirty wield my Mel and aim it towards the opponents!"

Terra stared. "...huh, that actually sounds pretty good! Squirty, do what she just said!"

" _Squirtle!_ "

" _Kkkkkak!_ "

The blonde's Kakuna jumped into the arms of the brunette's Squirtle, who then held the Bug-type with one arm like some sort of hitman. Then it began chasing the now-horrified Horsea and Goldeen around.

Ignis, Misty, and her two trainees, all blinked.

 _Um, what the hell?_ they thought collectively.


	18. Terra and Hana VS Luis and Diana

The two Water-type users exchanged glances. Then they stared at Misty, who returned the stare equally dumbfounded.

 _Uhh, I know we refrained from attacking to measure their skills, but..._ Luis thought.

 _What the hell is up with this situation?_ Diana finished that thought.

The scene unfolding before them was that of a normal swimming pool being used wildly. Their opponents' Squirtle were using a Kakuna as a gun, shooting Poison Stings at their Horsea and Goldeen, both who didn't seem- no, they were definitely not thrilled at this sort of wacky development. The corner of their eyes turned to the trainees, seeking an actual order for once.

"A-alright, enough waiting around," Luis said. "Horsea! Leer!"

"Righ, Goldeen! Tail Whip!" Diana said.

The Horsea nodded and swam to a currently safe distance, then glared hard at the Squirtle and Kakuna duo. Squirty the Squirtle flinched a bit at the sudden hostile glare, although Mel the Kakuna barely even noticed due to its positioning, being used as a gun. Suddenly the Goldeen appeared out of nowhere and rubbed its tail against the two, to their shock.

 _Holy shit, a stack of two Defense-lowering moves,_ Ignis thought. "This won't be easy..."

"Of course not," Misty said. "My trainees have lots of experience, training with me, and I provide new tactics and lessons every week! They're strong!"

 _...every week? Not everyday?_ The ravenette left it at that.

"If that's how you're playing- Squirty! Tail Whip it back!" the brunette yelled. Squirty nodded and grabbed the Goldeen's tail as it tried to escape, rubbing its own tail against the fish Pokémon.

"Now, Mel! Poison Sting!" Hana added. Squirty menacingly aimed Mel at its captured Goldeen whilst wielding a wicked grin, and Mel shot its small needle at it.

 _Holy shit that Squirtle's face is terrible,_ the two trainees thought. "G-Goldeen! Flail!"

After several Poison Stings, apparently none of which inflicted it with the Poison status yet, the Goldeen started flailing around violently. Its tail slowly slipped loose from Squirty's hand, and the moment it succeeded- " _Deen!_ " it exclaimed and swam away to the Horsea's side.

"Horsea!" Luis side. "Smokescreen!"

" _Sea!_ " It spat out a ball of pitch black, which exploded into smoke the moment it touched Squirty and Mel. Then it and the Goldeen retreated to a safe distance, at an unknown location.

"Yikes, they're having trouble," Ignis noted. "...wait, Hana's Kakuna doesn't look so good..."

"It's still life that needs air," Misty said. "They're getting a bit too caught up in battling to realize that. You better help them out again."

Ignis blinked. "Oh crap. Hana! Mel needs to breathe too!"

The blonde's eyes widened. "O-oh! I see!"

"Squirty, get to the surface!" Terra yelled.

The turtle did so and held the bug up to allow it some air.

Luis and Diana grinned. "Horsea / Goldeen! Use Bubble / Peck!"

Suddenly, an ambush from the two Water-types happened. They jumped out from opposite sides of the pool, aiming their attacks at the two.

" _S-squirtle!_ " Squirty shrieked, throwing Mel into the air and diving back down.

"What the-"

"A-ah... M-Mel! String Shot!" Hana quickly improvised out of panic. Her Bug-type did so and, whilst spinning mid-air, shot out several strings that wrapped around the Horsea and Goldeen mid-air. "I, uh, p-p-pull them onto a surface!"

WIth two strings still attached to each oppoent, Mel twisted its body and pulled the two captured Pokémon onto the dry platforms of the battlefield. They struggled to bounce back into the water, but Mel suddenly spat more strings, wrapping them perfectly and gluing them to the platform.

"Alright! Now that's something!" Ignis cheered.

Terra pouted. "Guh... not bad, huh... But this is good enough! Squirty, get onto the surface and start using Bubble too!" she said.

Squirty nodded and jumped out the water onto the platform, and grinned wickedly again.

 _Dear heavens, it's that face again...!_ both trainees thought once more.

"G-Goldeen! Flail!" Diana said. The Goldeen tried, but to no avail.

"Darn, we can't hop back into the water..." Luis muttered as he witnessed what might as well as be Squirty's mad slaughtering of his Pokémon.

"Mel! Poison Sting at them too!" Hana said. "Poison status ought to come soon, I daresay!"

"Ooh, they finally got an advantage," Ignis said with relief. "Definitely needs to train more."

"Same here," Misty sighed. "Those two are forgetting another source of water they can use to wash the strings off themselves..."

"...oh." Ignis blinked. At any point in time, the trainees could have their Pokémon use a Water-type move to get rid of the strings, she realized. "They better hurry."

"Hey! You two!" Misty suddenly yelled. Luis and Diana blinked, exchanged glances, before nodding.

"You're cheap," Ignis said.

"You were helping your friends out too, get over it."

"Horsea!" Luis said. "Use-"

"DontlethimdowhateverTackle him!" Terra shouted. Her Squirtle ran towards the stuck Horsea and slammed into it. However, that force itself was enough to rip the string attached to the ground off and send the Horsea flying into the air, most likely going to fall into the pool again.

"O-oh no! Miss Terra!" Hana said.

"I know what I'm doing! Squirty, get in the pool and Tackle it again!"

Squirty nodded and quickly jumped into the pool, swimming rapidly underneath the mid-air Horsea and jumping out to Tackle it again. " _Squirtle!_ "

"And keep that up!" the brunette said.

Suddenly, Diana grinned. "Goldeen! Water Pulse on the Kakuna!"

The two trainers widened their eyes as the Goldene charged up a ball of water, then shot it at the Bug-type. Unable to move properly, Mel was struck by the water attack and fell into the pool, whilst the Goldeen's restraints were torn apart by the attack. The Goldeen quickly splashed back into the pool.

"There goes our chance of victory," Terra groaned. "Squirty! Finish it and help Mel!"

Squirty nodded and jumped out the water once more, slamming the Horsea far away into the walls of the gym, knocking it unconscious.

"Horsea, no!" Luis yelled. He recalled his Horsea back into his Pokéball, and called out a new Pokémon- "Shellder, it's your turn!"\

" _Shell shell!_ "

"Uh, forget that for now, go save Mel again!" Terra said.

"Too late for that!" Diana said. "Goldeen! Horn Attack!"

Her Goldeen rushed through the waters, aiming its horn at Hana's Kakuna.

"Mel!" Hana exclaimed as it was smacked out of the water, into the air.

"Aaahhh, she's done for," Misty said.

Suddenly, the Bug-type glowed. Whilst spinning mid-air, its shell slowly cracked apart something crawled out of the unstable cocoon. "W-what-" the four battling Trainers gasped.

"She's evolving!" Ignis exclaimed. _But the battle's not even... evolution can happen mid-battle!?_ she thought, rather shocked by this discovery.

"Get her now, Diana!" Misty suddenly screamed frantically. _Right, her bugphobia. ...insectophobia. ...whatever the term is._

"G-Goldeen! Water Pulse!"

The Goldeen charged a ball of water and shot it towards the evolving Bug-type. However, before it reached the Pokémon, the newly evolved Beedrill buzzed loudly and flew away from its shell, dodging the water attack. " _Bibibeeeee!_ "

"Hana!" Ignis shouted. "Your Beedril should know Twinneedle now!" she said.

Hana nodded. "I- I see! Mel, Twinneedle!" she commanded. Mel the now-Beedrill nodded and flew around rapidly, making it hard for the Goldeen to take aim. Then it aimed its two giant arm-lances and shot the needles at the fish. "I-it shot the needles!?" Hana exclaimed. Upon seeing the needles regrow rapidly on the bee's hands, she sighed with relief.

"Goldeen!" Diana called. It had been struck and, coupled with its depleted health from all the Poison Stings during its captivity, was knocked unconscious by the needles. She recalled her Goldeen, then fell to her knees. "S-sorry, Luis..."

"It's fine, I got this!" Luis exclaimed. "Shellder! Icicle Spear!" he yelled.

His Shellder scooped up a bit of water with its tongue, then encased itself within its shell. Then, when it opened once more, a giant ice shard suddenly spat out towards the bee.

Mel easily dodged it, however, and buzzed at the shell Pokémon.

Terra grinned. "Don't get distracted now! Squirty, Tackle!" she exclaimed.

"Tackle back!" Luis said.

The turtle and the shell jumped out the pool, smashing against each other.

"Mel! Twinneedle!" Hana said.

"Withdraw!" Luis retorted. The Shellder quickly shut its shells together, the needles barely scraping across the hard surface. "Water Gun!"

It aimed at the bee again, but once more it didn't land the target.

"Squirty, grab Shellder!" Terra yelled. The Shellder was caught off guard when Squirty appeared from behind, holding tight to its shell. "Now!"

Hana nodded. "Twinneedle again!"

"Shellder, no!" Luis screamed. The two needles were shot at the now defenseless Pokémon, who could do nothing but anticipate its-

" _Deerrr!_ "

And there it went.

"Shelldeeeeer!" Luis cried, recalling it into his Pokéball. "I'm so sorry, Miss Misty! We couldn't defeat them..."

"No, no, it's alright," Misty said as she descended to them. "It's good training for you two. Besides, you would've won if it weren't for Iggy here helping them," she reassured.

 _Why's she calling me Iggy too now?_ Ignis thought. "Not like there are rules against it."

"Touché," the Water-type expert said. _But people don't usually do that anyways, assface._ "And as for you two..." she turned to Terra and Hana. "You two could use a little more practice, 'kay?"

"R... right," Terra nodded.

"I shall train more, then," Hana said.

"Now." Misty smiled at Ignis. "It's our turn now, isn't it?" she asked.

Ignis grinned. "Now we're talking! Let's go!"


	19. Splashdown with Misty

"Right, it's our turn to battle now," Misty said. "Take your stance."

"Gotcha," Ignis replied and took one side of the battlefield. "Prepare to be defeated, Misty!"

 _Lady Misty,_ the woman mentally corrected. "Whatever you say. My first Pokémon'll be Staryu!"

She threw her Pokéball and called forth a familiar star-shaped Pokémon, one that Ignis had to admit she always thought as an alien lifeform. It emitted a weird noise, with its core flashing.

"Oooh, a Staryu," Terra said from the sidelines. "Haven't seen that since Grandpa brought one to the lab years ago."

"Oh man, Staryu." Ignis threw a Pokéball to the battlefield. "Krow! We're going with you first!" she said.

The bat Pokémon appeared from the device's red light, and it screeched with power. " _Battt!_ "

"Staryu, let's start with a simple Water Gun!" Misty said. Her Staryu nodded and aimed its core at the bat, blasting water at it.

 _Where's the water even coming from in the core?_ Ignis shook her head as Krow easily dodged the attack. "Krow, Screech!"

Krow let out another screech, this time releasing sound waves that surrounded the Star Shape Pokémon. Misty smiled. "Decreasing defenses from the start, huh? Basic but good tactic."

 _It just makes it faster for full violence combat,_ Ignis thought.

"Staryu, Swift!" the Water-type expert said. Staryu shot multiple stars from its core this time, all of which headed towards the bat.

"Dodge again, Krow!" Ignis said. But as the bat moved out of the stars' way, they turned around and struck it from the back. "Wha... homing!?" Ignis exclaimed. _Wait... Swift! An always-hitting move!_ She recalled how much she hated that type of attack, but pushed it to the back of her mind for now. "Well, I'm still alive at least. Krow! Absorb!"

Krow opened its mouth wide and suddenly shot dark shadowy vines from its mouth, wrapping around Misty's Staryu. Purple poison-like orbs began flying out from Staryu's body into the Golbat's body. _The hell, that's creepy,_ Ignis thought.

"W-wait, it knows Absorb!?" Misty shrieked. "Staryu! Rapid Spin, and Recover!"

 _Oh yeah, Grass-type moves are super effective._ Ignis watched as the Staryu spun itself rapidly, tearing the shadowy vines to shreds. Its core then glowed, and then its body glowed light green as it seemed to have been revitalized. "Wow, healing..." She also hated healing moves. "Confuse Ray!"

Her Golbat spat out a bright yellow orb towards the Staryu. Upon contact, it exploded, and the Staryu began staggering around.

"Oh, man. Staryu! Snap out of it and use Psywave!"

 _A Psychic-type move!? Not good!_ Ignis threw her hand. "Krow! Absorb again!"

Repeating its Grass-type attack, Krow began leeching the health of the Star Shape Pokémon who was still staggering around. It tried to aim its appendages towards the bat, but ended up too weak to even raise an end. Within seconds, its core faded. "A-ahh, Staryu..." Misty sighed and recalled her Pokémon. "You did well. My next one's even better though!"

"Can't be that bad," Ignis noted.

"I'm sure Miss Ignis can win the next round too!" Hana said.

"Oh, you'll see! Starmie!" Misty called. A familiar star popped out of its Pokéball, this time with ten appendages, five on the front and five attached behind. "Rain Dance!"

The ten-armed Mysterious Pokémon jumped around attempting to do weird poses. Rain clouds began forming at the top of the gym, heavy droplets of water pouring everywhere.

"Oh, geez. That's a turn wasted!" Ignis said. "Screech!" Once more, Krow let out a loud screech and sent soundwaves at the star organism.

"Doesn't matter!" Misty said. "Hydro Pump!"

 _Wait, what?_ Ignis blinked as an extremely powerful torrent of water shot at her bat Pokémon with unbelievable speed, striking Krow before it even properly registered her words. "Holy shit. What the hell!?" she shrieked.

Terra and Hana jumped. "T-that was really fast!"

"Rain Dance, girl," the Cerulean Gym Leader said. "Powers up Water-type moves!" she said.

Shocked, Ignis gulped. _I guess powering up no longer applies to only power, but speed and effectiveness as well..._ she thought. _That was so fast I didn't even Starmie charging anything up..._ "You alright, Krow?"

" _G-gollbat!_ " it replied with some level of enthusiasm.

"Gotcha. We could use some health right now- Absorb!" Ignis said.

Her Golbat nodded and spat the shadowy absorption vines from its mouth again.

Misty grinned. "That's the end for you there. Hydro Pump!" she commanded again.

Ignis blinked. _Huh. Again?_ Within less than even a second, the powered up move smashed Krow into a wall, shredding all its shadowy vines to dust particles. "Holy shit, this really is bad."

After the onslaught of water disappeared, Krow fell to the ground, eyes spinning like the common comedic effect she was used to seeing in media. " _G-goll..._ "

 _Yikes._ Ignis recalled her Pokémon. "Alright then... Pikachu! How about you?" she asked and looked behind her.

The Pikachu who chose to follow her was sleeping soundly, letting out a yawn as if to spite her.

"...wow," Terra said. Hana focused on trying to stop herself from laughing.

"...fun Pikachu," Misty noted.

"Guh. Never mind it," Ignis said. She threw her other Pokéball to the field. "Basil! Counting on you!" she said.

" _Saur!_ " the Ivysaur chirped as it landed in front of the pool.

"Vine Whip!"

Basil stretched its vines out from its bulb and slowly aimed for the star organism.

"Rapid Spin!" Misty said. Her Starmie then- to the surprise of Ignis- spun its front body with intense speed. The vines were immediately shredded upon attempting contact, to the dismay of the ravenette and her starter Pokémon. "How's that?"

 _Ouch, not the vines again..._ Ignis thought. "It can spin its front body...?"

"It can spin its back body," Misty explained, "but if you have it stand on its back body, the front body's the one spinning."

Ignis blinked. "Oh. Science stuff. Right." She shook her head. "Hang in there, Basil! Leech Seed!"

Nodding, Basil initiated its next attack and spat several seeds towards the Starmie. Again, they were destroyed by its Rapid Spin attack, but suddenly-

"...huh!?" Misty voiced as her Starmie flinched. "Why's there purple spray in those seeds?"

"Basil's laced the seeds with Poison Powder," Ignis explained with her own smug grin. "Put your opponents to disadvantage as soon as possible! That's our style!" she said.

The Water-type expert blinked. _Wait, that idiot warned me about this..._ she thought, recalling a phone call from Brock who told her about an approaching face from the past. "Well, it takes time to lose to poison anyways, so you'll have to survive long if you want to win!" she said. "Starmie! Tackle!"

"Full-on physical violence! Basil, Take Down!" Ignis countered.

The two Pokémon leaped towards each other, its bodies prepared to smash. To Ignis' surprise, her Pokémon was sent flying back, however. " _S-saur!_ "

"What the...?" she muttered.

Misty grinned. "My Starmie's body is still harder than normal, Ignis. Rock hard, I daresay."

 _Starmie can learn harden?_ "Enjoy it while it last. Basil! Leech Seed again!"

"Not on my watch! Dodge them, Starmie!" Misty said.

The star jumped to its side as the seeds were shot at it.

"Good! Now, Hydro Pump!" she added.

Ignis threw her hands once more. "Solar Beam!"

"Wait, what?" Misty almost jumped when the water blast struck the Ivysaur safely. No such thing as a Solar Beam being shot to counter it. She blinked. "Uh, what was that?"

Ignis shrugged. "I got a bit heated up."

"...well, whatever!" Misty pointed to where the Ivysaur was. "This is your defeat!"

"Not yet! Vine Whip!" Ignis commanded. To the Water-type expert's surprise, vines slivered up from within the pool. "Get it!" The vines quickly reached for her Starmie, wrapping it tightly to prevent it from using Rapid Spin to free itself.

"W-what!?"

"Basil! Leech Seed with Sleep Powder!" Ignis said. Her Ivysaur spat more seeds at the Starmie, and it now being restraint, could do nothing as the seeds burrowed itself into its body, more vines growing around it. At the same time, its core began fading due to the sleep powder infused within the seeds, causing it to lose consciousness. "That's my win!" Ignis exclaimed.

Misty narrowed her eyes. "You're cheap. Sneaking vines into the pool and distracting me with a false alarm Solar Beam? You're just... cheap."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ignis snickered. Basil smiled in turn, letting go of the defeated Starmie and skipping over to its Trainer's legs, affectionately rubbing its head against her. "There, there, good boy... girl... damn, I forgot the gender."

Sighing, MIsty recalled her Starmie. "Well, I'm not so petty as to dismiss my loss," she muttered. _What a brat! I demand a rematch!_ Instead, she walked over to the Trainer. "Oh well, here's your Cascade Badge. And here's, uh, TM... TM03, I believe. Water Pulse? Yeah." She handed over said items to the ravenette.

"Oh, sweet. Water Pulse... got nothing for it right now," Ignis muttered. "Thanks, Misty. That was a fun match."

"Same here," the expert replied. _It'd be more fun if I won! I want to win! I want to winnnn!_ She looked outside the gym's windows. "Anyways, it's almost night now. I'd suggest you rest up at the Pokémon Center, it's dangerous to travel at night."

"Got it. Terra, Hana!" Ignis called. "We're resting for the rest of the day!"

"Uh, sure," Terra said. "It's already night anyways but okay..."

"It's good that we're not traveling at night too," Hana said. "The darkness is just terrible."

Ignis grinned. "Whatevs you say, girls." _Afraid of the dark, huh?_


	20. RattattattattattaBill

Refreshed and ready to continue their journey, the trio had walked north into Route 24 and Route 25. Various Trainers had met their eyes and enforced their unspoken law of challenging all who they made eye contact (Ignis promptly wondered if they ever went home, but it turns out everyone just so happened to be training and searching for Pokémon there around the same time).

To Ignis' dismay, she did most of the battling. Terra wasn't much of a battler, it seems, but she did attempt to train against two people- one win, one loss. Also wild Pokémon battles. Her Squirtle and Metapod eventually evolved into a Wartortle and a Butterfree, respectively.

Hana tried harder to get more experience with battling, having faced off against four Trainers. Her Charmander evolved into a Charmeleon, so that was also a plus.

Ignis, meanwhile, had to deal with a total whopping of nine Trainers. Granted, her Golbat and Ivysaur were the most helpful and most powerful she has, but the Pikachu that follows her occasionally helps as well.

But those aren't important. Now, she had a new goal. Assuming nothing had changed and the journey would still follow the game's formats, Ignis recalled one of the most wild NPC was to the north of Cerulean City. The scientist who accidentally fused- or something- with a Pokémon in his own house.

 _Bill_. Not Bill Nye, duh- but _Bill._

If anyone's going to be dragged into the world of Pokémon, Bill's house was a _must_ , she figured.

After all, there's no way any player hasn't ever wanted to become a Pokémon themselves. It was almost like that weird fourth season of Digimon, where the humans could become humanoid Digimon- except fantasizing yourself as a skillful Pokémon was totally cooler, at the time.

 _...wait, does it make you a furry if you used to imagine yourself as a powerful humanoid Pokémon?_ Ignis suddenly thought.

"Oh look, there it is," Terra said, interrupting her internal question and pointing to an approaching house. It seemed like quite a normal house from the front, but standing from the side the otherworlder could see many giant wires and mechanical stuff attached to the back of the house. "The house of the famous researcher Bill."

Ignis blinked. _Oh yeah, he's famous. Everyone would know him._ "Yep. I feel like dropping by for a visit and seeing what he's up to."

"M-Miss Ignis!" Terra suddenly said and pointed. "W-what is that Pokémon over there?"

The ravenette looked at the pointed direction. "That's... uh, an Abra. Psychic-type, teleports a lot, stuff."

Hana gulped. "Psychic-type... I heard Psychic-types are powerful! I think... I think I'll try to capture it!"

Ignis and Terra exchanged glances. "Uh, right. You do that- you don't mind if we check out Bill's place in the meanwhile, do you?" the otherworlder asked.

The blonde shook her head. "That will be fine by me." She quickly turned to the Abra and started preparing for battle. "Mel! Bug-types are effective, so let's battle!"

" _Drzzzzz!_ "

"Well, that's that," Ignis said. "Let's head in, shall we?"

"Mmhm!" Terra enthusiastically nodded.

The two knocked on the house's door and waited as they heard loud shuffling from within. "C-coming!"

"Wow, he's in the middle of something," Terra said. "What do you suppose he could be working on?"

 _I mean, he could be doing the nasty too..._ Ignis thought as she tried not to laugh.

The door soon opened and they were greeted with someone who looked identical to the illustrations of Bill that Ignis was accustomed to from her world- but with whiskers and a large teeth like that of a Rattata's. The two remained speechless as they stared at this Rattata-like man. "...um," Terra squeaked.

Ignis faked a smile. "Y-you're, uh, Bill. Right?" she asked. This man, to her, was definitely Bill- but not? _Rattata-Bill, I guess? Like that Ash-Greninja thing that was booming in the anime..._

The man then smiled. "Guess ya got me figured easily, huh?" he said. "Come in, come in! I'm still in the middle of somethin' neat, but feel free t'make yerselves home!"

 _Wacky,_ the ravenette thought. "Right. Let's go in."

Terra sent them both an odd look.

"So, what's got'cha coming all the way here, Ignis?" Rattata-Bill asked.

"Wait, you know each other?" Terra asked. "Personally!?"

"Yup!" Rattata-Bill said.

Ignis blinked. "Well, uh, I guess so." _I do? Jesus, who the hell even is the original Ignis...?_

Rattata-Bill laughed. "Yer memories must be hella good then! I reckon ya'd have forgotten about me already- I rarely ever visited Pallet Town 'fter all!"

"Wait, if you did, how come I never saw you there?" Terra asked.

"Ya were really sick back then, I hear," Rattata-Bill said. "I actually thought Ignis here was Oak's daughter! Until he told me the real girl was sick in her bed."

Terra frowned. "Darn... lucky you, Ignis."

"Uh, yeah. Hahaha." _Lucky my ass, I don't even recall._ Ignis cleared her throat. "So, Bill. What're you working on right now?"

"Oh, I'm just testing out a Rattata's bite force," he replied. "I've temporarily fused myself with Rattata DNA, so I can freely mess around and see how life works for them."

"...fusing with Pokémon DNA?" Terra asked. "That's impossible."

Ignis snickered. "Nothing's impossible, Terra. He's in front of us, after all," she said. "But I didn't think you'd actually come this far with Pokémon fusion." The girl nodded as she examined Rattata-Bill's whiskers. "Hm... truly, top percentage Rattata." _Fuck, now I want to be a Pokémon too! ...not a furry though._

"Well, to be fair, I did have an accident once where I was merged with a live Clefairy..." Rattata-Bill said.

 _Oooh, right, that was how it went in the games!_ Ignis thought. _No wonder now he's way past that, it's been eight years._

 _...wait._

The girl rubbed her chin. "Wait, about that..."

"Hey, does that mean I can become a Pokémon too?" Terra asked.

"Hmm... I'm not sure," Rattata-Bill replied. "I haven't tested whether it's able to be used on just anybody yet... but I guess if someone like me can do it, anyone can."

Terra smiled widely. "So how does that work anyways?"

"Oh, it's complicated. I could go on for hours about this."

"We've got all the time! Right, Iggy?"

Ignis winced. "Well... uh, sure. You do that," she said.

Terra frowned. "You're not interested?"

"A bit interested, but not tempted enough to sit through it," Ignis said. _I feel like I won't understand it anyways, as amazing as it sounds._ "Don't worry, I'll look around and maybe go check up on Hana. Take your time, Terra."

The brunette's smile widened. "Oh, thanks Iggy! You're the sweetest friend I have!" she said and dragged Rattata-Bill to a nearby couch to listen to him talk.

 _...that was kinda cute,_ Ignis thought. "Welp, let's look around now."

She spent few minutes walking around and looking at random research and progress within Bill's house. Most of it she only paid a few seconds of attention to, ultimately deciding she wouldn't understand them.

Eventually she came to an old book about Eevee and its evolutions.

"...huh." She flipped through the pages, smiling at photos taken up close of said Pokémon. "...I wonder if my Pokédex can scan this." Ignis took out her Pokédex and scanned the picture. Only the appearance was registered. "...darn," she muttered. However, just two seconds after that, a sound played and she saw the description appearing as well. "Wait... huh?"

The girl read through the entries quickly. The data for it certainly was there, despite her not owning any of Eevee's forms.

 _...hey, wait a second._ Ignis scrolled until she reached the top, where the entry for Bulbasaur was.

Appearance only.

She frowned. "The hell?"

Ivysaur's entry was also empty, save for appearance. She motioned for Basil- who was waiting for her near the door and yawning- to come. Upon coming closer, Ignis scanned the Ivysaur again and waited three seconds- on the last second, the data showed up.

 _Damn, I hate game convenience,_ Ignis thought. Now she knew- automatically registering data was impossible, but scanning long enough unlocks hidden data instead.

It was almost like the Pokédex itself was a game. _Stupid Professor Oak._

Looking around once more, Ignis figured there was nothing left. "Right, I'll go check on Hana now," she decided and headed out the house quietly.

* * *

The blonde looked to her right, spotting her companion walking to her. "Oh, Miss Ignis. Are you finished? ...where's Miss Terra?"

Ignis snickered. "Sucker's too fascinated by all the science, so she's listening to Bill's story about... something." _Pokémon and human fusion... I feel like I've seen a manga like that before,_ she thought. "How're you doing?"

"Oh, I've finally managed to catch the Ava!" Hana replied happily.

"Ava... oh, Abra." Ignis looked at the blonde's belt- a third Pokéball was now attached. "Ooh, that's great! Good job, Hana!"

"Heehee. It was really tricky, what with all the teleporting it did!" Hana said. "But Miss Ignis, you see, I eventually had Emma use Smokescreen! And then, while its vision has been clouded, I had Mel use Twineedle and weaken it! Then I could capture it and so I threw a Pokéball at it! That's how I got this new Pokémon!"

Igins blinked. She certainly hadn't expected Hana to become so passionate about this, but... _what the hell, she's cute too._ The girl chuckled, petting the blonde's head- to her surprise. "Well, you seem really excited. Great job, Hana."

"I, um... t-thank you...?" Hana replied, unsure how to feel about being petted. _...warm hands._

"So anyways, what are you up to now?" Ignis asked. "If you were waiting for us, it might actually take quite some time..." she said and looked back at the house. Terra also seemed quite passionate in science, so she didn't think the brunette would wrap things up anytime soon. "Guess I'll wait here with you."

Hana nodded. "I... see. That's fine with me." She scooted over slightly, where Ignis sat down next to her. "I was just... enjoying this scenery of this cape. Under this sunlight, the cape, the pathway, the wild Pokémon living their lives... it's just so peaceful."

Ignis tried not to show her confusion. _Cape? What the hell, what cape? I don't see any hero capes around here..._ The girl simply nodded and looked at the medium-sized water body in front of them. _Only a pretty nice lake or pond or whatever here..._

"Apparently, this place is known as the Cerulean Cape," Hana continued. "It seems to be rumored as a great romantic spot!"

 _...cape's a geographical term?_ "Uh, sure. I guess so," she muttered. _Damn, I hate geography. But okay, so this is a 'cape'... right._

Completely distracted, she didn't realize that Hana was staring at her until a few seconds of silence passed. "O-oh, um. I'm sorry."

"No, uh, it's fine. What's bothering you?" Ignis asked. _Right, I've got to stop thinking about pointless stuff. She'll get worried._

Hana looked away. "I was just... um, curious about you, Miss Ignis."

The ravenette blinked. "...what about me?" she asked.

"It's just... you and Miss Terra..." Hana said. "A-are you two, um... perhaps... 'together'?"

 _The hell's that supposed to mean?_ Ignis thought. She mulled over the question. _Wait... oh, wait._

 _Oh._ "...oh."


	21. Me, Her, You, Saffron!

_...shit,_ Ignis thought. She was currently feeling troubled by two issues at once, alongside several distraction factors. Her first issue was something Bill mentioned- the Clefairy DNA mix-up incident. As the current point of time was eight years into the future of the actual game, Bill's reached a rather successful level in that experiment, but the fact that it still happened would mean that someone had to have helped him out during the mishap.

Who helped Clefairy-Bill back then, when it happened? No normal human would listen to him, they'd attempt to fight and catch him right away. The only person who'd stop to listen would be the clichéd kindhearted protagonist of a game. _But that's who I am right now- the protagonist of the game... sort of. Does Red actually still exist in this universe, somewhere?_

...she mentally sighed. This wasn't the time for conspiracy theories, so she decided to shelve it deep inside her mind for later.

Next issue was... hm. "Me and Terra?" she voiced, feigning ignorance. _Is Hana actually being perceptive of us? And where's this question coming from anyways?_ She had to wonder. Terra certainly did seem rather clingy with her, but the ravenette didn't feel like she'd have displayed any romantic hints towards the brunette.

 _I'm not even gay. I think._ She blinked. _Wait, I'm gay for female fictional characters. Maybe I_ am _gay?_ This matter seemed troubling too, but she can't put it away while she's being asked about it.

 _Hm. Just what_ is _my relationship with Terra anyways?_

According to Terra herself, the original Ignis and Terra had done some damn kinky shit when they were younger than eighteen, during one party night... or something. _Wait, isn't that underaged sex? ...can we be arrested?_ She groaned. _Stop getting sidetracked, damn it. Okay, so... hm. I think she's cute. She's definitely clingy. But are we dating?_

"...M-Miss Ignis?" Hana said. "I-I'm sorry, was that question too, um, personal?"

"Huh?" Ignis blinked. The blonde was staring straight at her. "Oh, uh, it's fine. I was just... thinking," she said and looked back at the Cerulean Cape. "...I'm not sure, but I don't think we're that close yet."

"O-oh. I... see."

The two sat together in silence, watching some Goldeen and Magikarp appear on the water surface.

Ignis scratched her head. _Well, now I feel awkward. Is this supposed to be awkward? The hell should I know._ She turned slightly to see Hana staring back. The blonde flinched and quickly looked frontwards again, cheeks slightly pink. _Yeah, someone catching you staring would be kinda embarrassing, huh._ She chuckled. "Well, don't fret about it," she said. "I do admit Terra's kinda cute sometimes. But I think you're cute too!" _Wait, I don't think that was the point of the question._

She was going to say something else to most likely mess her words up even more, but she stopped upon Hana turning redder. "..."

"...hm." _Did I make things worse?_ Ignis looked back at the cape. _More like, the hell were we actually discussing again?_

Then she heard the door open and turned to her right. "Oh, hey."

Terra skipped out the house. "Iggy! I'm done!" she said. "Can you believe it? His story was mad flippin' awesome!"

"W-was it now?" Ignis asked. "Maybe you can tell us all about it later at another Pokémon Center, haha..." _Bedtime story quality, I bet._

"Aw, okay. But trust me, it will blow your mind! Literally!" Terra exclaimed.

"Did it blow yours too?"

"Yeah! Literally!"

"..."

Well, thinking back to the topic of love... _she's an airhead. A cute airhead._ Ignis couldn't help but smile.

"What're you smiling for?" Terra asked.

"No, it's nothing, it's nothing." Ignis turned to the house. "You wait outside, I need to ask him a question. Won't take long." _I'll at least get the name of whoever helped him during the Clefairy shtick,_ she figured.

"Alright, take your time," the brunette replied.

* * *

Several minutes later, the three were once again on their way. This time, they were headed south of Cerulean City.

Terra spotted another house on the way. "Why's there a house out here too?" she asked. "Is it another famous researcher, maybe?"

It seemed to excite the brunette, as shown by the expressions on her face, but Ignis chuckled. "Nah, that's a Pokémon Day Care." _I remember tossing my Magikarp in there._ She faced her two companions. "You can leave any of your Pokémon in the owner's care, and they'll raise it and train it for you."

"How do you even know these things?" Terra muttered. "Well, regardless, I think I'm fine with mine. They'd be lonely without us after all!"

"Indeed, I believe it's not necessary for us right now," Hana said.

Ignis grinned. "Whatever you say then." She honestly held the same views, and thus doesn't particularly enjoy the idea of leaving it to others to raise her Pokémon. Of course, the exception was Magikarp, but she's experienced how long it took already without the knowledge that each experience point was gained for every step she took. It was only once, but she definitely didn't want to wait crazy long again.

Thus, the three walked past the Pokémon Day Care and reached a shelter area.

"From here is Saffron City," Hana said. "It's... where I came from, although I'm not too happy with coming back here. But I think I'll be fine."

"Uh, if you say so," Igins replied. _Not a case of home sweet home, I see._ The three walked inside the connecting shelter, only to be stopped by a nearby guard who seemed to be lazing around, his back facing them and his legs swinging around with no enthusiasm.

"Hold on there, fellas. I'm afraid I can't let you pass," he said in a monotone.

Ignis blinked. _Oh yeah, we're not supposed to be able to access Saffron City yet, although I can't really remember why that was so._ "What's the problem, officer?"

He groaned without even turning around. "I need to record those entering for the first time, but I'm feeling lazy because I'm thirsty... do me a favor and get me something to drink, won't you?" he said.

"...uh." Ignis and Terra exchanged glances.

"The heck, he's just a lazy bum," Terra said.

"Call me what you want, I'm still doing my job." The officer yawned. "I just need motivation."

Hana then stepped forward. "E-excuse me, sir."

"Hm?" The guard lazily turned around, staring at Hana. Then his eyes widened. "Wait, you're..."

"Y-yes, I am," Hana hushed, but to no avail.

"Hana Deborah!" The guard quickly got up and bowed. "I- I deeply apologize for my behavior! P-please go through with your friends!"

"...Hana Deborah?" Terra asked.

"Wasn't it Hana Kanazawa?" Ignis asked.

The blonde looked away. "Y-yes, well... i-it might have been a fake name..."

 _...why Kanazawa though?_ the otherworlder wondered. "Why a fake name though?"

"I- I don't believe it's safe to give out your real name to strangers..." Hana muttered.

"We gave our names to pretty much everyone we've met so far though," Terra pointed out.

The blonde fidgeted with her fingers. "B-but I didn't give my real name..." Feeling the two's confused stares, she flailed her arms around comically. "B-b-but I'm not saying I don't trust you two! I really, um, think you two really great friends that I trust, and, um..."

"...oh, hey, I just remembered," Ignis said. "Your father's part of Silph Co. and Team Rocket... and a high ranked person I guess?"

Hana nodded, nervous. "That's right... b-but again, I didn't hide my name out of distrust or anything..."

"Ah, it's fine," the ravenette ultimately said. "Who cares about that? Hana's still Hana, Deborah or Kanazawa or whatever. I trust you too, silly."

"..." Hana was speechless, but slightly touched.

Terra rolled her eyes. "Well, if Iggy says she's fine with it, then sure. I'm fine with that too," she eventually said. "At least now we know, I suppose."

"Miss Ignis... Miss Terra..."

The blonde smiled.

"I... I'll show you around my home city!" she suddenly declared. "I'm sure there will be many things that you both will enjoy, and if you'd like, there's even two sorts of gyms here too, Miss Ignis!" She grabbed Ignis' hand. "This will be my way of saying thanks, so please! You can count on me!"

 _Uh, this isn't even that big of a deal,_ Ignis thought. "R-right, okay."

"...no need to rush it, Hana," Terra muttered.

"O-oh, right. S-sorry," the blonde apologized and let go, feeling a bit embarrassed.

They casually walked through the shelter building and officially entered Saffron City. The view of all the buildings and tech around them really surprised Ignis, and definitely seemed to get Terra's fascination. It probably resonated somewhat with Hana, who probably missed her home city, but as Ignis stared at her blonde companion smiling at her home city, she chuckled.

 _Yeah, she's cute when she's not humble,_ the girl figured.


	22. Psychic's Sidekick

"This is Saffron City!" Hana said as she spread her arms open, twirling with glee, something Ignis found rather out of character for her. _Or I suppose she just has another cute side that we haven't gotten to see that much._ "We've got the great Silph Co. here, and two gyms that you can challenge!"

"...wait, since Silph Co.'s stationed here, does that mean technically Team Rocket is also stationed here?" Terra asked.

"I... uh." Hana blinked. "...no! The bad Team Rocket we battled are fakes! These ones are the real, good people!" she eventually said.

 _I mean, Team Rocket isn't even supposed to be good anyways,_ Ignis thought. _They_ do _plan to invade Sil... huh?_ "...wait, Hana, so... tell me about your Team Rocket again."

The blonde tilted her head, confused. "Um... okay. One of my father's colleagues wanted to further advance our technology to be able to achieve space exploration, so he started a small team of talented researchers. Together they are known as Team Rocket, and they've accomplished many huge feats within their fields, but all confidential things... from what my father told me."

 _Yeah, again, it's got nothing to do with rockets..._ Ignis thought. "And essentially... they're also mainly stationed here in Saffron City, in Silph Co., right?" _I really have to stop using the word 'essentially', I don't know the specifics..._

Hana nodded. "Indeed, they are. Is something the matter?"

"...no, nothing." _Why would they invade their own company...?_ Thinking about it made her head hurt, so once again, Ignis decided to shove it deep in her mind. _I'll think about that crap later._ "Let's look around."

"It's a date then!" Terra exclaimed and clung to her childhood friend's arm.

"...with a tour guide?" Ignis asked.

Terra stared at Hana. "...right," she mumbled.

"L... let's get going!" Hana said as she began walking around.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the city, in front of a gym...

"Today is the day!" a man shouted. "The day that we bring your gym down!"

On the opposing side, a long haired woman sighed. "...not this again," she mumbled. "How many times have you come to challenge and still lost?"

"S-shut up! Today's going to be different!" Motioning for his comrades to step up, he cracked his knuckles together. "This is the day where we'll get rid of your gym completely, to expand our dojo, and regain our leader's honor!"

Sighing, the woman shook her head disdainfully. "I'm really not a fan of battling, so this is starting to get on my nerves... a lot."

"Bring out your Pokémon again, Sabrina!" the man yelled.

"So be it... come, Wizard!" Sabrina threw a Pokéball, from which a certain yellow Psychic-type emerged. "Once more, we're showing these idiots a taste of defeat."

"Miss Sabrina!" her Gym Trainers that were all gathered behind her cried. "Please be careful!"

The Psychic-type Gym Leader smiled. "It will be fine, I assure you."

"Maybe that's what you think!" her opponent exclaimed. "Come on, everyone! We're taking her Pokémon down together! Primeape!"

"Machop! Machoke!"

"Mankey! Primeape! Machop!"

"Primeape! Mankey!"

The other trainers paled. "T-that's not fair! Miss Sabrina, we'll help!"

Sabrina shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll show them the consequences of ganging up several against one," she told her followers, then turned to the dojo members. "It seems you all greatly underestimated me, if you lot truly believe that number is power."

"Can it! This time we'll grasp victory in our burning fists of rage!" one man said. "Everyone, Karate Chop!"

All their Fighting-types screeched vigorously as they leaped at Sabrina's Alakazam. However, before their fists even inch any closer to it, they were completely stuck midair, floating like a cluster of satellites.

"W-what!?"

Sabrina sighed. "I see you four buffoons don't know enough about me nor my Pokémon," she said with disappointment. "Wizard here is an Alakazam, which are extremely powerful psychics and whose powers are further amplified by their spoons. This is one of my best Pokémon, to top it off." She glared at the four dojo Trainers. "It seems you four also don't learn properly from Kiyo. Psychic-types are effective against Fighting-types, didn't anyone ever teach you?"

Without even giving out the command, her Alakazam used its powers to slam all eight Fighting-type Pokémon to the ground. It seemed to be so intense, they lost the battle immediately.

"I-impossible!" the men yelled collectively. "How did you... you didn't even give it an order!"

"I don't need to say anything out loud to my Pokémon," she replied. "Our telepathic connection is good enough."

The men recalled their Pokémon. "Damn it! ...but this is where your luck ends, woman!"

 _...what luck?_ Sabrina found herself wondering.

"This time, we've brought something new to counter your Psychic-type usage..." All four men grinned and threw out another Pokéball each. "We've got a group of Bug-types to destroy you!" Together, a total of four Heracross landed in front of her.

She clicked her tongue and scanned them with her eyes. "Hm... it's slightly annoying, but it seems to be quite a new addition." _From what I'm seeing, their estimated level must be quite low..._ "Nothing too big for Wizard, I suppose..." _But it wouldn't hurt to get some help with these damn bugs..._ Sabrina looked back.

Her followers were now terrified again. "T-they're Bug-types... us Psychic-type users can't possibly win against them..."

 _Ugh. Do these idiots really not know how to try?_ Sabrina sighed and looked forward again. "This is somewhat frustrating, I suppose..." she said, before noticing something far behind her opponents. She smiled. "Well, I think I've found the perfect person to get rid of the bugs for me."

"W-what was that?" one of the men frowned. "You coward, face us alone!"

Sabrina glared at him. "You've got a lot of guts saying _that_ to me," she said before raising her hand. He squeaked and cowered in fear, before realizing he wasn't being affected. The group exchanged confused glances, until a girl flew past them towards Sabrina. "Hey, you. No time to explain, would you mind helping me get rid of these bugs?"

The girl, who was... Ignis, frowned. _Sabrina!?_ "What the whuh?" _What the hell just happened to me?_ she thought. Terra and Hana soon ran up to them, confused.

"W-what the heck was _that!?_ " Terra exclaimed. "W-why'd you just magically fly like that, Iggy!? I didn't... oh, it's an Alakazam," she said. "...is this a kidnapping?"

"N-no, I don't think so," Hana replied. "Miss Sabrina! It's good to see you again!"

Sabrina whistled. "Oh, Mr. Deborah's girl. Nice to see you again too... am I mistaken in assuming those are Pokéballs on your belt?"

Hana shook her head. "N-no, you are right. I went on a journey and met these new friends of mine."

The Psychic-type smiled. "Good friends, I see. Ignis, Hana, I could use both of your help with these bugs."

Ignis frowned. "Uh, right." _What the heck is even going on here?_ She faced the four men, all robed with martial arts clothes, and frowned. _Oh hey, they're the dojo people from Saffron._ "Huh, I don't remember them having Heracross"

"...I'm not sure what you're supposed to be 'remembering', but if you're talking about their other Pokémon, I've already gotten rid of them," Sabrina said. "These are just new, low-leveled additions to their team."

"W-wow. Your Alakazam must be really powerful," Terra noted. Wizard the Alakazam nodded and smiled.

Ignis blinked. "Wait, even if Bug-types are super effective on Psychic-types, wouldn't you be just fine anyways?" she asked. "Especially if they're low-leveled and new..." _Wait, how did she even measure their levels?_ She frowned. _Actually, how are levels even measured in this world?_

"...just help me out here," Sabrina muttered.

The otherworlder stared at the Psychic-type expert, who looked away. _...wait, is she scared of bugs? ...too?_ "...what about Venonat and Venomoth? They're Psychic and Bug-types."

"T-the ones I'm used to are fine, these aren't!" Sabrina exclaimed. "You're my sidekick now, stop asking!"

"Hey! Stop ignoring us!" the four men said. "Besides, if you think our new Heracross are pushovers, then think again! We've got something special to help us with defeating you, Sabrina!"

Hana frowned. "Pardon me, but what do these ruffians have against you?" she asked.

Sabrina shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care enough to ask."

"...I see."

The leading man of the group shoved a hand into his clothes. "If you think your increased numbers change anything, it doesn't. Especially because now we have this!" He pulled out a small device and four items that looked like wristbands. "Come now, you four. Wear this!" The four Heracross hesitantly took the bands and wore them on their insect arms.

 _The hell are those?_ Ignis and Sabrina thought.

"And now, with special stones we've given them, let me show you something magnificent!" the man said. "This will blow your minds, and even better- it'll help us win this battle!"

"...special stones...!" Ignis widened her eyes. The only words that immediately came to her were: "Mega Evolution!"

"Megalo what now?" Terra asked.

Mega Evolution. A phenomenon introduced in the sixth generation of the Pokémon games. She may have stopped playing around the fifth generation's Black 2 and White 2, but she promptly kept up with Pokémon news for a while until the spark faded. Nevertheless, she stuck around long enough to know about these newly introduced temporary evolution that granted certain Pokémon a sort of power-up, with new appearances and all.

It didn't leave too much of an impression on her, but she was the sort of person who always liked lore and mechanics behind fictional things. Mega Evolution was something achievable by the strong bonds between a Trainer and their Pokémon, but it can also be forced as she had seen in that movie with some volcano Pokémon- which caused intense pain, from what she recalled.

The girl now realized what those wristbands _probably_ were. "Wait, don't do that!" Ignis exclaimed.

"Witness the undiscovered evolution of Heracross!" the man said and pushed the slider on his device up, ignoring her. Immediately, the four Heracross began clutching their heads in pain, a small circular spot on their horn's underside- or their foreheads- began shining.

"W-what're they up to?" Sabrina asked.

"Pikachu! Quick Attack that device!" Ignis exclaimed. The Pikachu besides her didn't question anything and sped towards the man holding the device, slamming it out of his hands. It fell to the ground, and Pikachu slammed it once more, completely shattering it. However, the Heracross kept its bright mysterious glow. "Fuck!"

"Iggy, what's going on?" Terra asked. "What's happening to those Heracross?"

 _It doesn't seem like Mega Evolution's a known thing yet here..._ She gritted her teeth. "It's temporary evolution, but forced. It's extremely painful to the Pokémon!"

Slowly, the Heracross' forms slowly changed. Their ribbon-like horns grew larger and melded into a large single-pointed horn, their arms grew bulkier, and they gained a long spiky Pinocchio-like nose. Those were only the notable changes- there were several others that didn't seem too important to note, but everyone except Ignis stared at the new forms, surprised.

"W-what the- Heracross can't evolve!" Terra exclaimed. "A-at least, that's what we discovered years ago... what is this I'm seeing!?"

Sabrina stepped forward. "You four! What did you..."

"Tch, it doesn't matter even if the machine's broken. This is our chance to win!" They laughed together and motioned the four Heracross to get into a battle stance. "Today's the day you lose, Sabrina! This is all thanks to the help of that generous Team Rocket organization!"

The group's eyes widened. "Team Rocket!?"

 _...God, why are they involved with_ everything _here!?_ Ignis screamed mentally.


	23. That's Just Underhanded

"...funny that you're not making a fuss at all."

"..."

"No, really. I thought you'd be struggling and screaming a lot already."

"..."

Cerulean's Jenny frowned. "You know, you could at least say something."

"..."

"...wait a minute..." the woman muttered and unlocked the cell. The moment she did that, the body in front of her sprung to his feet. "Wha-"

"Drowzee! Hypnosis!" the Rocket grunt exclaimed.

"Son of a-"

" _Droooowww!_ " a Drowzee that simultaneously appeared from its Pokéball hissed at the grown woman.

She clutched her head in pain, her eyelids becoming heavy. "Damn it... y-you..."

"Sorry, lassy. I have a place to return to," the grunt said as he brushed dirt off his attire. "You best behave yourself and stay there in the cell, in my place." He stepped out the open cell and shut it close, then flashed a smile to his Drowzee. "Good job, Drowzee. Now, can you make an illusion of me appearing as her?"

" _Drowww..._ " the Drowzee said with a nod.

"W-wa...it..."

He grinned back at her. "See ya never, lassy."

* * *

Mega Evolution was possible through the power of bonds. That's what Ignis understood from the halfassed lore research she did back in her normal days in her own world. However, one of the movies involved a villain who could force the temporary evolution, which was known to cause intense pain. It was a trivial detail that she never thought she'd remember for situations like these, but her dislike of such thoughts- of forcing a Pokémon to go through pain just to get stronger- was strong enough for that fact to remain in her brain.

And now, seeing complete strangers using that sort of power without a heart pissed her off. It pissed her off immensely. In fact, 'pissing off' was putting it lightly-

She actually, genuinely, felt angry, something she hadn't felt much during her otherworldly experience.

The girl scowled at the four dojo goons, her fists tightening. "You assholes. I'll be asking you some questions after this..."

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" the leading man yelled and pointed at her. "Get them all!" His men nodded and pointed the same way, their Heracross all begrudgingly charging at them.

"Bitch, this will be easy for me!" Ignis threw a Pokéball up high. "Krow! Air Cutter!"

Her latest addition to the team, the bat Pokémon, emerged and nodded. Its jaws opened all the while, it remained in the air and charged energy through its wings, then releasing it with a flap towards one of the Bug-type Pokémon. The leading man's Heracross stopped in its track and jumped back, staring uncomfortably at the bat Pokémon.

"Don't get in our way!" the man said. "This is a battle between us and that unworthy gym leader!"

 _Not even a care about their Pokémon..._ Ignis gritted her teeth. "You'll have to get past me first."

The two glared at each other, rage fueling their determination to fight. They took their stances and nodded to their respective teammates. "I'll handle this one!"

Hana nodded from besides her. "I-I'll help if I can..."

"Not if I can get through!" a second man said, his Heracross having ran past the preoccupied pair.

The blonde flinched and quickly grabbed a random Pokéball. "U-uh, Emma! Ember!" she yelled, hoping she grabbed the correct one. To her relief, the Fire-type was successfully summoned and charged heat within its mouth. It then spat a fireball violently at the Heracross, which dodged it sideways and slowed down slightly. "I, uh, I'm not letting you through to Ms. Sabrina!"

"We'll see about that...!" her opponent hissed.

With two men remaining, Sabrina looked between each nervously. _I can probably easily handle them both, but..._ She shivered- the thought of facing two Bug-type Pokémon was already disgusting enough for her. Her Alakazam, Wizard, looked at her with reassurance that she'd be fine, but the girl felt otherwise. "...disciples! Uh, a test: defeat one of them! Team up if you want to!"

All the people under her gym, watching from behind, jolted as they realized it was their turn to take action. They looked at each other and nodded. "O-okay, Ms. Sabrina! We won't let you down!" they yelled and came forward to battle the third man.

Terra, meanwhile, stayed back and watched. "Jeez, why are you all getting involved..." she muttered. "This is dangerous..." A glance at the Mega-Evolved Heracross later, she smiled. "But this could really be interesting though."

"Wish later, fight comes first!" Sabrina said and sighed with relief, her opponent now dwindled down to one. She grinned confidently and pointed at the last remaining man. "Wizard! Subdue his, uh, evolved Heracross?"

"It's Mega Evolution!" Ignis quickly corrected, before turning back to her battle. "Krow! Keep flying and using Air Cutter!"

As her Poison-Flying-type Pokémon did just that, the leading man of the four dojo goons growled. "That's fucking cowardly! Get it down here and fight fairly!"

"You were about to team up against one person, you've got no excuses!" Ignis yelled back.

She thought she won the argument here, and she thought she was close to winning the fight, but the man then grinned, to her confusion. "If you won't stop, then... Heracross! Attack her!"

"...wait, what?" Ignis barely blinked before, in a second, her opponent's Heracross was directly in front of her with an unwilling expression on its face, its arms raised in preparation to strike her. "Huh-"

" _Ignis! / Iggy!_ " three voices called at the same time.

She fell backwards on her rear as she shut her eyes tight, an immense fear invading her mind for the first time. The girl heard then heard several noises happening at the same time, but didn't feel the strike coming. Slightly puzzled, but still scared, Ignis opened her eyes to see various factors that had saved her:

Somehow, Basil the Ivysaur had escaped from her Pokéball on her belt and had its vines tightly wrapped around the Mega Heracross' arm. This probably wasn't so effective due to typing, but by physics it might have worked, not that that mattered.

A familiar katana was also embedded through the same Heracross' arm, its handle facing the direction of where Hana stood, a scowl of disgust on her face.

Then, if those weren't enough, the Mega Heracross itself was enveloped in purple glow, barely floating a bit as one of Sabrina's hand was aimed towards it.

"I.. t-that..." Her mind hadn't recovered yet. She was still speechless from the thought of being attacked in a battle.

Her opponent seemed enraged, as expected. "Hey! You lot! Stay out of our battle!" he exclaimed.

"You have some nerve!" Hana retorted, her fists clenched tightly. "That was absolutely revolting just now, attacking a Trainer in the midst of a battle!"

"She's the one who refused to fight fairly!" he in turn replied. "That was just something she deserved!"

Sabrina scowled. "Enough! I was already getting sick of you four always challenging me, but that was absolutely disgusting!" By now, neither she nor Hana nor her understudies were occupied- everyone had been frozen stiff by what had transpired, even the other dojo men and their Heracross. Her hand glowed brighter, and the Mega Heracross being suspended in the air was sent flying back towards the leading man, who jumped sideways to avoid it. "Are you dimwits unable to measure your own Pokémon's power!? That just now wouldn't have just hurt an innocent girl, that strike just now would've killed her!"

"N-no it wouldn't!" the man said. "It was just a normal chop, she would've just been sent sprawling to the ground..."

"You damned idiot!" the Psychic-type Gym Leader hissed. "Not only is it now clear to me you don't know a thing about your own Heracross, you don't even know the difference between Pokémon and human! You're a disgrace to Kiyo's dojo!" she said and glared at him.

"E-even your Heracross are now looking uncertain," Hana added. "I have a feeling that you four haven't bonded with them at all."

"S-so what!?" the leading man asked. "Our only purpose is to regain our leader Kiyo's honor by defeating you!"

"...this battle is officially over," Sabrina said. Her eyes glowed as she exerted more of her psychic power, All four men found themselves brought together and restrained with energy, with a nearby coil of chains pulled from the sidewalk and used to wrap around them tightly. "You four will have a lot to talk about, and a lot to apologize for. I will also notify Kiyo of your actions once he returns," she said.

The leading man of the goons growled. "We haven't lost yet! Hera-"

"Wizard!" Sabrina hissed.

Her Psychic-type Pokémon nodded. " _Zam._ " It glowed shortly, and the Pokéballs the four used to summon their Heracross exploded under their belts.

"W-what!?"

"Now that the ownership is null and void," Sabrina said and turned to the four Heracross, who had no idea what to do- "you four can leave and return to the forest."

They exchanged glances, and soon became enveloped in light. Their forms reverted to normal, and now that they were no longer under the dojo members' ownerships nor in a battle, they nodded and hovered away silently.

"H-hey! Get back here!" the man yelled, but to no avail.

Looking down upon them coldly, Sabrina clicked her tongue. "Truth be told, I do respect Kiyo and his dojo, but you four have greatly soiled my opinion of it."

Meanwhile, back where the others stood, Terra and Hana quickly rushed to their friend. "Iggy!" the brunette said. "Are you okay!?"

"A-are you hurt?" the blonde asked.

Ignis, hands slightly trembling, nodded and slowly got up. "I... I'm alright," she said. "I'm alright... luckily."

Her Golbat landed on her head, while the Pikachu following her journey scurried next to her. They stared at her, slightly worried.

She smiled slightly. "I'm alright now. ...I think so." Sighing, she stared at the restrained men. "Still... that was damn scary though." The girl's Ivysaur then flashed a smile as well. "Thanks, Basil. Also, thanks, Hana."

"F-forget that," Terra said, "that was a really underhanded move! He could've hurt you... what do we do about them?"

"...we question them," Ignis said. Her glare returning, she scowled at the men. "We question them and get everything we can out of them."

"A-are you sure you can do that right now?" Hana asked.

Ignis gave her an odd look. "What do you mean? Of course I can." She then walked towards her could-be attackers, her fists clenched tightly.

But then, slowly, she came to a stop, only halfway nearing them.

The girl stared. "...oh."

She was still scared, even if slightly.

"...okay, maybe I'm still a little out of it," Ignis admitted. "I think... I think I'll rest for the day... would you two mind getting stuff out of him for me?"

"Uh... sure," Terra replied. "What should we ask him?"

"Anything you can about their connection to Team Rocket," Ignis said. "Like... anything. Do whatever you can."

"We understand." Hana paused and stared for a while. "...you're really okay, right, Ms. Ignis?"

Ignis offered a smile. "I think so. I should be fine after a day's rest... I'll be fine, girls."

"If you say so..."

Realizing her Pokémon were still looking at her, Ignis gave them the same smile. "Pikachu, Krow, you two should go with them. For, uh, persuasion." The two nodded and went to both girls' sides. "Basil, you, uh... prepare Sleep Powder in case I can't sleep, I guess."

" _Saur!_ " the Ivysaur chirped.

With that, feeling a bit awkward, Ignis turned and left the scene while Hana and Terra glanced at her once more, eventually heading towards where Sabrina and the dojo men were at.


	24. You Don't Understand a Damn Thing

Ignis opened her eyes to see a familiar lineup of seven certain giant humanoids. She smiled helplessly as she put a hand to her waist- her _clothed_ waist- with a small cupcake in hand. The girl then blinked- she had spontaneously decided to experiment with this mysterious dream phenomenon, wishing not to arrive here stark naked before she lost consciousness. The cupcake was... something else she had in mind. Truly, this not-nude result of her test relieved her greatly, now that she knew she can will whatever she wanted to bring to this dream world.

She looked up at the titans and smiled. "So. How're you guys doing?"

 **V** rested its chin on its crossed hands. _"Quite fine, I suppose. The same can be asked of you."_

 _"I mean, whoa, girl! That fella's giant bug almost killed you!"_ **I** exclaimed. _"We all got heart attacks, I swear!"_

"Yeah, that wasn't pleasant for me either," Ignis muttered. Her hands shivered a bit at the very recent memory. "That asshole definitely knew nothing about his own Heracross..."

 **IV** rubbed its chin. _"You're not... traumatized or anything, are you?"_ it asked. _"That would be quite worrying and also troublesome..."_

 **VI** trembled. _"I, I know I'd be a bit affected by that... why, I wouldn't be able to get over it no matter how much I eat, I'm sure..."_

 _What's that got anything to do with it?_ Ignis wanted to ask, but respectfully kept her mouth shut. "Right, that's that, nothing new. How're things going along for you guys?" she asked again. "Any new information about... anything at all?"

 _"I'm afraid not,"_ **II** answered. _"It's, uh... surprisingly a lot harder for us to find any clues about your situation or the world's coming disaster, really."_

"Disaster, huh... if it's not Team Rocket, I'd be surprised," Ignis grimaced. "They're somehow involved with almost every bad thing on the journey so far, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say they're planning world domination or something."

 _"Uh, yeah, that."_ **III** nervously fidgeted with its hands. _"Honestly I'm a bit shocked they haven't done something worse to you by now... what with your bad luck with them."_

"Tell me about it," the girl groaned. "Not only them, but jerks like that dojo asshole are going to be the end of me too." Sighing, took a seat on the ground. "I wish this was a bit more easy on me."

 **VII** chuckled. _"Well, I guess we have nothing left to report, then. So what's that in your hands?"_

Ignis blinked, then looked at the small cupcake in her hands, promptly remembering she bought the edible treat for a reason. "Oh, this, actually..."

 **I** got up. _"Actually, wait. How'd you bring that in here? ...and why are you now wearing clothes?"_

The girl stared for a while, before forcing a sly grin. "Aw, what's this? Did you wanted to see me naked so badly?" she teased.

 _"I mean, yeah. It's funny,"_ **I** replied.

"Oh." She looked down and turned a bit red. _Well, that backfired._ Shaking her head, she regained her composure. "A-anyways, uh, right. I was hoping not to appear naked, and I guess it worked, so now I know I can control how I appear here and what I bring here."

 _"Ah... and the cupcakes?"_ **IV** asked.

Ignis smiled and turned her head to **VI**. "I remembered Six saying something about not having eaten anything for years or something. So I wanted to see if I could also try bringing something for him... uh, her. Or, uh... non-gender-specific pronoun."

 **VI** stared. _"You... brought that here for me?"_

"Mmhm. Might as well, in case I could control this dream stuff," Ignis said. "And what do you know, I can! So, yeah." She tossed the muffin in **VI** 's direction, to which it suddenly warped over to the titan's equally white giant table. "Whoa, trippy."

 _"Why, that's just... really nice, Ms. Ignis."_ She couldn't see it, but she somehow knew that the titan had smiled at her. _"You... have my deepest thanks."_

 _"Aw, lucky!"_ **VII** said. _"I want a gift too!"_

 **V** sighed. _"Seven, please."_

 _"I know, I know, just kidding around."_

Ignis chuckled. "Well, who knows. I might think of some more stuff to buy for you guys, if I ever think of something."

 _"...wow, you are too kind,"_ **III** said. _"No wonder you're the legend's savior of Kanto. Or something."_

"That's totally unrelated, but sure." Ignis then felt her vision fading. "Ah, I think I'm waking up. I'll keep doing my best on the journey. See you fellas later."

 _"See you, Ms. Ignis. May luck be with you."_

* * *

"Iggy? You alright?" Terra's voice reached her ears. She opened her eyes to see the brunette looking down at her, standing next to her bed. The girl pushed herself up, gently putting the sleeping Basil the Ivysaur asides. "S-sorry, I asked Nurse Joy to let me in, if you were wondering."

"Uh, no, it's fine." _I don't really care how,_ the ravenette thought. "Thanks for waking me anyways... a short nap was all I needed."

"Uh... I wouldn't exactly call it short," Terra remarked. "You've... been sleeping since you got here. It's evening now," she said.

Ignis blinked. "...seriously?" She then looked around. "And where's Hana?"

"She's, uh, with Ms. Sabrina. Watching over the four goons and probably chatting with them about the whole Team Rocket relation thing."

 _Ah, yeah, that's something I'd like to know too..._ Ignis rubbed her head. "Right, then... what have you gotten out of them?"

"Uh... well, about that," Terra said, "I'm not sure I understand much so I'll try to keep it easy. Maybe we can go and ask them again later, if you'd like." She rubbed her chin. "So the basic gist is that, uh... while their leader Kiro isn't here, they were reached out to by people supposedly from Team Rocket. Given those Heracross, and the special bracelets and stones and devices, promised power strong enough to beat Sabrina... simple movie stuff."

"Right..." Ignis frowned. _Wait, I never did look up the specifics... did they actually need the stone and bracelet if they could force it?_ She blinked, a bit confused internally. _Well, whatever._ "...keep going."

"...that's pretty much it," her friend said. "Other than receiving those stuff from Team Rocket, they haven't really... cared much about anything other than beating Sabrina."

"...gods, they're idiots," the ravenette growled. "Thinking about them reminds me of the Heracross..." And thinking of those Bug-type victims of their selfish idiocy pissed her off even more. Sighing, the girl got up and cracked her knuckles. "Well. Guess I'm off to get some hits in."

"Eh, I wouldn't recommend that," Terra said. "Maybe if you woke up earlier you could, but Saffron's Officer Jenny is also interrogating them now, so really, no more chance for violence."

"Ugh." That option gone, Ignis resigned to simple, civil conversation. The girl walked towards the door. "Whatever, let's just get it over with."

Terra grabbed her hand, stopping her, however. "W-wait, Iggy."

Ignis blinked. "...what?"

"...look, I..." The brunette sighed. "I... I know this probably won't sound good to you, but... I think we should stop... getting involved with this," she slowly said. Met with a raised eyebrow, Terra looked down. "This whole stuff with Team Rocket... I'm not sure where it's going yet, but I think it'll be dangerous."

"Well, that's a given," her friend replied.

Terra shook her head. "Ignis, I... I don't like this. I think... we should leave these things up to the police." She offered a rather sad smile. "I think... I think Officer Jenny can look more into them, and we can just... get back to adventuring. Just you and me."

"...and Hana," Ignis added.

"...yeah, and her too," the brunette hesitantly added. "But my point is... I feel like something bad's going to happen to us if we try to delve any further into their stuff, and..."

"Terra, don't be stupid," Ignis interrupted. "We've been adventuring normally this entire time. It's them who keeps getting involved with us, even by coincidence."

Terra flinched. "W-well, yeah, but-"

"Besides, if there's trouble and we ignore it, at least I wouldn't be able to face myself after some big consequence." She sighed. "And I just... I can't let it slide by, when I know something bad's going on."

"But what if there isn't anything going on?" Terra asked. "What if we're just meddling with something that isn't evil, and it bites us back in the ass later? Then what?"

 _...but they are evil,_ Ignis wanted to say. She knew Team Rocket was evil, and she knew something was going on behind the scenes. Furthermore, she knew the world may possibly be in danger, if not only Kanto, extra thanks to the titans and the weird phenomenon bringing her to this world.

But how can she explain that without seeming suspicious? Being too confident about those things would definitely raise alarms even in Terra, about her identity.

...Ignis wondered what she could say to help her case here. She understood where Terra was coming from, but there were various factors that made her want to keep doing what she was doing. She really does think Team Rocket should be stopped. She really does want to help the Pokémon suffering from Team Rocket's nefarious plans. She also really wanted to help the mysterious titans with their... dilemma and prophecy, whatever that was.

...no. Ignis realized it deep down, that she didn't actually care too much about those things right now. She knew, truthfully, that she was simply acting upon the chance of becoming a hero, and especially a hero of a game series that she had always loved. It was like those original character fanfiction of Pokémon she sometimes read- where a main character, some no name bum from nowhere, becomes a hero after going on a replicated journey of the actual main characters from the games.

She supposed she could excuse herself by the fact that literally anyone who could've been in her situation, transferred to the world of Pokémon, would've wanted to do the same. But that wasn't an excuse, not in the eyes of the actual residents of this world, she realized.

Terra deeply cared for her, she noticed. She didn't know any of this world travelling shtick, nor the prophecy, nor the titans, nor the deadly plans Team Rocket has that Ignis shouldn't even be knowing. In her eyes, Ignis was a close friend, a childhood friend. It was rather understandable that she'd be really worried for her sake, especially considering what had just happened in the fight with those dojo goons.

But... Ignis was determined to reason her way out of this. "Terra. Look... I Just... I'll be fine," she said. _Yeah, real convincing, me._ "I mean, yeah, it's... it'll be dangerous. Like that Heracross stuff, I almost died. But... I have to do this. Anyone could do it instead, but... I want to do this," Ignis said. "I know you're worried for me, but-"

"...don't..."

Ignis blinked. "-you don't have to... what?"

"...you don't understand a damn thing, Ignis!" Terra exploded. "You almost died earlier today! D-do you even realize that!? Bad people who'd attack you instead of the Pokémon!" She grabbed Ignis by the shoulder, her grip slightly painful but ignored at the moment. "I, I know what you're thinking, Ignis. You think... no, you _know_ somehow that Team Rocket is a dangerous group. And, and I believe you, alright? I already believe you. But if we keep going like this... what if you die? What if that sort of thing happens again?" she asked. "I'm not going to stand by, waiting for that to happen, Ignis!"

"W-wait, Terra, I'm not saying you have to-"

"It could happen anytime! What happened today, it could happen anytime!" Terra shouted. "You could die, Ignis! Why aren't you realizing that!?"

"I do realize that!" Ignis managed to get her words in. "Terra... I do know how dangerous it is. But like I said... I'm going to do this, no matter what."

Terra shook her head. "You're stupid, Ignis... can't you f... fucking tell how worried I am about this!?"

"I know you're worried, Terra, but listen!" Ignis retorted. "I understand that you care a lot about me, we're like, childhood friends, I get it! But I'm saying, this time it'll be fine! It'll... mn!?"

Ignis' eyes widened. Terra shut her up with her lips, tears pushing through her eyes.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an hour to her.

Although the situation didn't call for it, the ravenette's face turned red. "T-Terra!?"

"You don't understand a damn thing, you idiot."

Speaking these words, the brunette gently pushed the girl asides and stormed out the room.

Ignis felt her embarrassment fade and she grabbed Terra by the arm. "W-wait, Terra!"

"Shut up, Ignis!" Terra said. "You don't... you don't get it at all! Nobody wants to see someone they love die, and here you are, mouthing off about going to do dangerous things just because you want to!" She glared fiercely at the ravenette, but to no avail. "You're not going to listen to anything I say anyways, so just let me be by myself for a while! Let me go!"

"N-no, wait!" Ignis said. Her mind was panicking hard right now- what the hell was she supposed to do? This wasn't supposed to happen, this stupid and lame drama. She thought her journey would be fun, with her companions, and excitement and... whatever stuff. This wasn't...

 _What should I do? What should I do? What should I do? What should what should what should-_

Ignis didn't know what she was thinking at the time, but she pulled Terra back and pinned her against the wall, silencing her the same way the girl did to her just a few seconds ago. She was a bit worried as going by how mad she made Terra, if the brunette struggled and she kept kissing her, it might be considered some sort of rape? But instead, Terra didn't move as she kissed her.

She returned the kiss passionately, tears still gently rolling down her face.

The brunette's arms wrapped around her back tightly, but contrary to her belief, the kiss didn't get fierce.

It was just... a passionate, emotional kiss.

Ignis couldn't help but notice that Terra was calming down, as they broke apart. "Terra... look, I..."

"Shut up..." Terra whispered. "Just... shut up... you're stupid..."

The two hugged each other, unsure of what to say to one another. They slid down to their knees, onto the ground, in the embrace of one another, feeling nothing short of awful.

"Idiot... you're an idiot..."

"..." Ignis smiled sadly. "Yeah. I am... sorry."

Seconds passed.

Minutes passed.

How many minutes had passed? She wasn't sure.

But Terra stirred within her arms. "...Ignis?"

"...yeah?"

"...I like you."

Again, she felt her cheeks flushing red, but in this situation, it was better to keep comforting her friend rather than get back into whatever comedic reaction she could make. Ignis stopped herself from sighing and smiled sightly. "...yeah. I like you too, Terra," she said- which wasn't the truth, but wasn't a lie either.

To be honest, she liked Terra as a great friend. Both her and Hana were friendly, cute girls that she wouldn't mind dating. But as of this point, she had other things in her mind. Like, how to stop Team Rocket, or that prophecy stuff.

"...you're a bad liar," Terra suddenly said.

 _...hm._ "...sorry."

"...but that's okay."

She felt the girl lightly push her up, and once again their eyes met. "...sorry."

The brunette was no longer crying, but it was obvious from a single glance that she had been crying prior. And she still looked mad, but calmer, with her own cute pout. "...just don't leave me... please."

"...I won't."

To her surprise, Terra pulled her in for another passionate kiss again. She would've objected, but she figured she had been quite a terrible friend to the brunette, so Ignis simply let herself relax into this one last act of love from her friend.

She hoped she wouldn't end up breaking her friend even more.


	25. The Blonde from Somewhere

Hana groaned. "Ms. Sabrina, I think it's clear he won't budge an inch," the blonde said as she narrowed her eyes at the tied up dojo fighters, the one in front glaring back at her with hostility. Next to her, Sabrina was equally annoyed, clutching her head to lessen her headache.

"Right, but if I don't get anything out of him..." she muttered.

"And you won't!" the leader of the pack yelled. "Wait until Kiyo returns, you'll see he'd go against you and not us, his loyal disciples!"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, there's a line between loyalty and pure stupidity."

The door then opened, and two familiar girls entered. Hana smiled at them. "Oh, Ms. Ignis, Ms. Terra. I see you both feel better now," she said. The blonde noticed Ignis holding her friend's hands, but simply paid it little detail as she looked back at the man. "We're having... um, a bit of trouble with interrogating him, I suppose."

"Sorry, I was a bit... a lot tired. Anyways, guy not answering anything?" Ignis asked.

"He's persistent," Sabrina answered. "It's like he knows we can't hurt him too badly, less we be caught up in a scandal or something."

"...hm." _She does have her reputation as a Gym Leader to keep up..._ Ignis thought. She looked at Hana, wondering if she should ask the blonde to put her sword to good use. _...then again, she could be traced back to her father, which would probably cause a scandal as well._ Ignis looked back to the man, intimidated by his glare but managing to stand against it. _...Terra's the professor's daughter, so..._ "What do..."

"..." Terra stood still and offered no advice, likely still upset by...

Ignis sighed. _Oh well, let's give her a bit more time._ She narrowed her eyes at the man. "If you're not going to talk, you're going to face terrible shit, you know?"

He scoffed. "Or what? What're you going to do? Kill me? Fat chance." He looked to his members, reassuring them with his eyes that reflected how sure of his innocence he was. "Seriously, they can't hurt us if they want to stay within boundaries."

 _Yeah, he definitely knows some shit about us..._ the ravenette thought.

"Sabrina has her filthy honor to keep as the Gym Leader. The blonde girl of that Deborah bastard can't risk ruining her father's career. And Professor Oak's weak ass of a kid can't have anyone questioning him about her actions." He laughed. "And you, as their friend, can't risk ruining their reputations for your own actions."

"Huh. He's actually got a point," Ignis noted. "...then again..."

"...huh?" The man frowned. "Then again what? There's no loophole around this, you brat. Whatever you do, when I'm free, the news will be filled to the brim!"

Ignis scowled. "Get real. There's no way you wouldn't spread rumors even if we didn't do anything," she said. "After all, it's your only way of getting back at Ms. Sabrina, other than attempting to battle her again and lose. Am I wrong?"

He grinned. "Smarter than you seem, huh?"

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, irritated. "So that's what you were planning..."

"Of course! And you can't stop me from doing that, since my lies can become the truth!" He laughed again. "What're you going to do now?"

"...good question." Ignis sighed. "If only there were any Pokémon that could wipe memories..." she said.

"...I think that'd be scary if one existed," Hana noted.

 _Well, I mean, there's Uxie,_ Ignis thought, _but like hell I can get her. ...it._

"Oh?"

The group blinked and turned to the door, a new voice entering the room. It was a slightly familiar voice for Ignis and Terra, and an extremely, irritatingly familiar voice for Hana. Standing in the doorway was a man who they had seen before, a blonde man with spiky hair, donning a fur coat that admittedly looked good on him.

Ignis blinked. "...hey, wait a minute... you're-"

"Bastard!" Hana scowled. Her hand quickly reached for her sword, to which Ignis panicked and rushed to her.

"W-wait, hold on Hana! Dangerous sword, dangerous sword!"

The blonde glared with maximum hostility at the man, who chuckled at her.

"Oh, Kanazawa, still adorable as always." He shook his head and petted the blonde girl's head, to her frustration. "But I'm afraid I don't have time for your silly squabble, right now. After all, it seems my help is required, no?"

Ignis stared at the man skeptically. "Help? We never..."

"You girls require a Pokémon that can wipe memories, am I right?" He motioned to the Pokéball on his waist. There was a sticker covering the translucent area, so Ignis couldn't quite see through the red covering of the ball. "I've got one right here, and I'm willing to lend a hand."

Hana groaned. "And how would you help us at all? We don't-"

"Wait, Hana," Ignis said. "Whatever it is, I think it'll be great for my plan."

"You have a plan?" Sabrina asked.

"I don't like where this is going..." the dojo members muttered.

"'course you don't. Anyways," Ignis said and turned back to her friends. "Whatever we do, these bastards will spread misinformation about us, regardless of whether we get shit out of them or not," she said. "So, I say we go ahead with forcing it out of them, and then wipe their memories of us ever doing so."

Sabrina blinked. "...is that safe to do?" she asked. "Sure, it'd save our reputations, but I'm still a bit hesitant on torturing them..."

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Ignis said. "I'll take full responsibility, in case their memories ever come back," she said. "After all, you never know what might happen, right?" she asked the blonde man.

He shrugged. "Who knows? If that's what you think."

"A-are you sure about this?" Hana asked. "What if-"

"He won't do anything to me," Ignis reassured her. "Besides, I've got some questions I want to ask this guy anyways. So... can you take Terra and Ms. Sabrina outside?"

"...if you're sure about this, then I won't stop you," Sabrina said. "But Ignis, just know that... if this comes back to bite you later, I don't mind helping out again. Alright?"

The ravenette smiled. "Sure. Thanks again, Ms. Sabrina."

"Just Sabrina's fine, stupid." The Gym Leader headed out the room.

Hana went to Terra and grabbed her shoudler lightly. "Um... Ms. Terra?"

The brunette stared at Ignis for a while, wanting to say something, but never doing so. She sighed, and reluctantly exited the room with the blonde swordswoman.

Ignis chuckled. "Oh, Terra. Gotta give her more time," she muttered.

"Seems like you do," the man replied. "That your girl?"

 _Oh, right, he was here._ "Maybe. Problem?"

He laughed. "No, no problem. A shame though, I thought you two were cute." He moved his neck around, getting prepared for physical interrogation that probably wasn't going to happen.

"Don't get your hopes up," Ignis said and turned to the tied up men. "So... what's your name?"

"Huh? Uh, it's-"

"Not you," the girl said and turned to her temporary blonde partner again. "Yours."

He chuckled. "It's Yumazaki Houtarou. Last name, first name."

 _...Japanese?_ Ignis narrowed her eyes. "Hm. Interesting name... where are you from?"

"Oh, just a normal citizen of Kanto," Houtarou replied. "Why, am I being suspected of something, madame?"

She snickered. "Who knows? Just slightly interested in my new acquaintance. She turned back to the dojo goons. "Anyways, let's get started, shall we?"

"Oh, finally," her attacker growled. "So, what're you planning to do to me? There's no way that memory wipe crap is real. If a Pokémon like that existed, the world would go crazy by now."

"Oh, but one does exist," Ignis said.

"What?"

"It does?" Houtarou feigned.

Ignis snickered. "Stop kidding around, buddy. You have it with you right now, don't you?" she asked. "You know... Uxie."

The blonde laughed. "My, you are quite the intelligent girl! I wasn't expecting this at all," he said, and grabbed his Pokéball. A moment later, a familiar yellow-headed mythical Pokémon floated in front of her, its eyes closed. "Seems like you know a lot more than you let on, Ignis."

"I sure do." _And so do you, buddy._ Ignis felt even more excited upon realizing he knew her name without having ever told him herself.

"W-what Pokémon is that?" the dojo gang's leader asked. "Never seen anything like that before..."

"Of course you haven't, it's from Sinnoh," Ignis said.

"And it's the one that will wipe your memories when we're done with you," Houtarou added.

The man laughed. "W-well, whatever. At least there's a chance of us recovering our memories. When that time comes, you['re-"

"Oh, sorry, that was a lie," Ignis said.

He blinked. "...what?"

She scowled. "what, you think I'd ever choose the option with that sort of risk? When Uxie wipes someone's memories, they're gone permanently."

The man began to pale. "W-wait, there's no way that could-"

"My, you even know about that!" Houtarou interrupted with a laugh. "You're just constantly surprising me, aren't you? She's right, though." The man turned to deliver a wicked smile at the tied up men. "You won't remember a lick of anything after we're done with you."

"Y-yeah right! You... you two are just bluffing!"

Ignis shrugged. "Whatever you think, man. So... how about, we _don't_ wipe your memories if you tell us everything?"

The tied up group's leading man growled. "Bitch, if you think..."

The other tied up men hushed him, however. "D-dude, I think..."

"What if they really can?"

"I don't want to get my mind reset to zero..."

They discussed amongst themselves, with slight discomfort both from the threat and from the ropes restricting their movement.

Meanwhile, as they talked, Ignis observed them with boredom before glancing at Houtarou again. "So what's your name?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yumazaki Houtarou."

"Your real name, please," Ignis said. "Hana's last name, Kanazawa, was a fake name. Wouldn't surprise me if your name was fake either, since it sounds so... weird." _More like, Japanese. I have a hunch..._

Houtarou smiled. "Hmm. I'm starting to wonder if you're not who you seem to be, Ignis..." he said. "But well, I can always look into you later."

"Sure, weird stalker dude."

He laughed. "Ouch. So anyways, my name... hmm. How about... _Orihara Izaya?_ "

Ignis had to stop her eyes from widening as she heard that name. She recognized it, of course, she would recognize that name from anywhere- it was the name of the coolest and biggest bastard from an anime she had watched, _Durarara!_ , who acted as a notorious information broker spreading information around whenever he wanted, and... uh... complicated stuff. She used to view him as someone she wanted to be like in the future, so of course she'd recognize that name.

...and hearing it here confirmed a small idea she had in her head...

Yumazaki Houtarou was someone from her world. That's for sure.

For a moment, she considered becoming an actual friend to him so they can talk about their situation, but she froze before her mouth could open. Judging by his behavior... _this guy... he's definitely planning something, and he's definitely a bastard,_ she thought. The girl eyed the Uxie floating besides her. _What if he tells her... it, to..._

...Ignis smiled. "Another fake name, huh? Guess you're the secretive type."

"Hmm. I wonder how you knew that name was a fake," Houtarou said.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh, it sounds equally ridiculous. But I'm not going to pry anymore into that, I guess."

"Hey! Listen to us!" the dojo men interrupted, regaining their attention. "We'll.. we'll tell you everything, so, like... don't erase our memories, got that!?"

Ignis blinked. "...right. So let's get started..."

* * *

Almost half an hour had passed before the door opened, and Ignis walked out. She left the door open, and the others saw that Houtarou was sitting inside, observing the tied up men who were in an eerie daze. "Welp, we're done here," Ignis said.

"Ms. Ignis!" Hana greeted. "How did it go?"

The girl smiled. "Hmm... it went okay, I guess. Most of it was useless stuff that we already knew," she said. "They cooperated with Team Rocket to test out those bracelets, and Mega Evolution, and stuff. They don't know anything about Team Rocket though, they're just using it as an excuse to pick a fight with Ms. Sabrina."

"What a disgrace," Sabrina noted.

"Other than that... well, really nothing noteworthy at all," Ignis said. "The threat of having their memories wiped was good enough to get them to blabber, but I still can't risk them recovering and spreading shit, so..."

"...you had him wipe their memories of this interrogation anyways, right?" Hana asked. "Well, as long as it's nothing too bad..."

The ravenette blinked. _Yeah, better not tell them._ She looked back at the room, staring slightly at the man supposedly called Houtarou. "Well, anyways. Our work here is done, so I was thinking we should head off now," she said.

"...to where?" Terra, who hadn't spoken up much recently, asked.

"Hmm... Ms. Sabrina, you'll be busy with the city's Officer Jenny and her investigations into Team Rocket, right?" Ignis asked.

The Psychic-type expert nodded. "I'm assuming you want to challenge me to a gym battle, but as you've guessed, I think I'll assist the police with their search for clues." She then looked over to Hana sadly. "I'm sorry about this, Hana. I'm sure your father is innocent, but there's still a chance he might be involved with this, considering-"

"I understand," the blonde swordswoman replied. "If... if it happens that my father and her affiliates, the well known Team Rocket, are a syndicate of evil... then I'll... I'll stand by and won't interfere," she said. "But... but I'm still certain that these criminals are misusing the name of the team that I am proud of, the team that my father has assisted for so long." She returned her friend's look with her own smile. "And... and if my assistance is required, at any time, I promise I will get stronger so I can help out, Ms. Sabrina."

Sabrina nodded. "If you say so, Hana."

Then, the blonde eyed her hated rival with contempt. "..."

Ignis patted her shoulder. "Hana... well, just this once, let him go," she said. "I know you definitely hate him, but for now it's better if we avoid troubling him." _Can't risk him siccing his Uxie on us right now, after all..._

Reluctantly, Hana sighed. "Right, I understand. Where shall we head to, then?"

"Well, I was thinking... Vermilion City!" the ravenette replied. She turned to Terra with an excited smile. "I hear they've got this huge ass ship! S.S... uh, S.S. something!"

"..." Terra sighed. "It's S.S. Anne, Ignis," she muttered.

Ignis blinked. _...is she still worried?_ The girl smiled and took her friend's hands. "Hey, Terra. Listen... I'll be fine," she said. "I understand you're worried... so, let's get stronger together, 'kay?" She briefly glanced at Hana, who returned a smile. "Me, you, and Hana... we'll grow stronger, better, everythin', stuff, and we'll keep each other safe too. Won't you believe in us?"

"..." The brunette closed her eyes, before sighing again. "Oh, to hell with it, it's not like you plan on stopping at all, either ways..." she said. Narrowing her eyes at the otherworlder, she delivered a quick peck on the cheek, before walking away. "Come on, I'll lead the way this time. Vermilion, Vermilion."

The ravenette flinched a bit, then lightly caressed her cheeks. "...huh. Bold."

"...c-congratulations?" Hana said, slightly red-faced.

"N... no, we're not..." Ignis felt her cheeks heat up. "...well, whatever."

 _Huh, so they were like that,_ Sabrina thought from behind, forgotten but still there.


	26. Underground Way to Vermilion

"Yellow! Use... uh... "

" _Vvrrrhhh._ "

Hana blinked. Ignis had lent her her Pokdex so she could examine her new Abra's moves, but there was literally only one option available- Teleport. And even someone inexperienced like Hana knew the problem here: _what the hell can it do in a battle with just Teleport?_ She looked back up to her opponent, a thin walking sprout with a huge yellow head, who was currently charging up an- "Oh! Um, dodge it, Yellow!"

Her Abra didn't show any signs of response, but warped slightly to the right out of the Bellsprout's way, narrowly avoiding a collective clutter of purple spores. " _Vvvrhh._ "

The blonde nodded and looked back at the Bellsprout. "Oh no... what to do..."

Ignis cupped her hands. "Hana! Forget the moves, just tell it to use its psychic powers!"

Hana blinked. "I, uh... are you sure?"

"Yeah! It's not all about the moves!" Ignis added. _At least, I mean, that's naturally obvious once it's not a game anymore._ She had experimented this way early on in her new life, back when Basil was still a Bulbasaur. Although using moves was so refreshing for her as a fan of the games, it quickly became apparent to her that she didn't need her at-the-time Bulbasaur to learn Vine Whip to specifically, well, whip with its vines. And earlier, in Saffron City, Sabrina's Alakazam had used its psychic powers without necessarily being ordered to use a specific move. Going by that logic...

"Uh, Yellow! Lift the... enemy, up!" Hana said. Barely a second had passed before they saw the Bellsprout being enveloped in purple light, then being slammed roughly against the ceiling. "Oh. Ouch..." the blonde winced.

"Huh. Neat." _That's one damn strong Abra,_ Ignis thought. _...wait, so is this how Abras haven't gone extinct yet despite their one-move availability?_

Hana leaned down to her Pokémon. "U-um, that's enough for now. I think we've won," she said. The Abra nodded and released its enemy from psychic grasp, letting it fall down, crumpled like the sprout it literally was. Then, smiling, Hana threw a Pokéball at it. "Capture!"

 _Lol, she said 'capture',_ Ignis thought.

Few seconds later, the blonde picked up her new Pokémon and looked inside. "And now I have this... this, um..."

"Bellsprout," Terra said from afar, a notable lack of interest and probably limited patience.

"Bellsprout! Right. And I shall name it... Bell! Because the bell chimes for victory!"

"I don't get it," Ignis remarked. "...but hilariously, the final evolution's name is Victreebel."

"Victory Bell?" Hana repeated.

Terra groaned. "Hurry it up, we don't have all day," she said. "The underground pathway to Vermilion is, like... right there."

"Eh, there's really no need to rush it," Ignis said.

"Weren't you the one who said you wanted to stop Team Rocket as soon as possible?" Terra asked, her eyes narrowed.

Ignis blinked. "...true. Buuuut we need to get stronger too, and what better way than training and capturing more Pokémon on the way?" she asked. _Is Terra still mad at me?_

"...ugh. Fine." Terra sighed and turned around. "...just don't take too long." With that, she promptly went to the underground path's entrance, stopping short just to turn around again and observe them as she waited.

Hana stared between the two. "...didn't you two, um..."

Ignis sighed. "No, it's really nothing like that," she said. "...but I know she loves me, I guess. We kinda... well, she was a bit mad that I wanted to fight against the Team Rocket issue."

"A bit?" the blonde asked.

"...okay, a lot mad. So, like, I had to calm her down... and I wasn't sure what to do so..." Ignis frowned and blushed a bit. "I kissed her."

Hana's jaw dropped. "W-wow. Ms. Ignis... bold."

"Please, just Ignis is fine. And yeah... it was stupid." Ignis sighed again, this time more a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "I mean, I know she loves me and all, I just... I haven't given much thought about love and that shit yet. I... I dunno how to feel about this, or how to feel about her, or... anything, okay?"

"...well, I think you'll be fine, Ms... um, Ignis." Hana smiled and patted her shoulder. "After all, you're the strongest and smartest person I've known so far. You'll think of an answer to your feelings soon enough."

"...right. Hope so," Ignis said and looked back to Terra. "Alright, Terra! I don't think we have anything else to catch here. Let's go to Vermilion!"

Terra rolled her eyes. "Yes, your majesty."

"Hey, was that sass? I detect sass. Are you being sass?"

"No, your majesty."

Hana chuckled, and leaned towards Ignis. "Good to see you two at least still get along," she whispered.

Ignis stared at the blonde skeptically. "...Hana, I think you need glasses."

* * *

Sabrina clutched her head, slightly troubled. The mysterious blonde man had just left not long ago, having taken the four memory-wiped dojo members with him.

Or should she say... _former_ dojo members? The Psychic-type expert had a small chuckle to herself. Just imagining the look on Kiyo's face after she explained what happened, would be worth everything. Then again... _where the hell is that idiot anyways?_ Sabrina wondered what business could possibly keep the dojo's leader so busy that he'd be gone so long, giving his disciples the opportunity to do the stupid thing they had done earlier.

Sighing again, she got up and exited the police station's interrogation room. "Thanks for everything, Officer Jenny."

The city's stationed Jenny saluted her. "No problem, ma'am. I didn't actually even do much this time, it was all thanks to you and your acquaintances."

"Hmm. If you say so." Her Alakazam floating alongside her, she walked back towards the direction of her gym.

However, just before entering, she paused and looked towards a tall building in the city.

"...The SIlph Company... huh." The woman narrowed her eyes as thoughts plagued her mind. She knew Hana's family was important members of the company, and she recalled that her friend's father was part of a branch of the company called 'Team Rocket', although as opposed to the current situation, Hana insisted- and the girl knew herself as well- that the actual Team Rocket was a team of researchers looking for ways to make space travel possible for everyone.

 _...then again, that's just what they say._ Her eyes slowly opened as she began to doubt the innocent purpose of Team Rocket. _What if they've been fooling us all this time? Would that mean Hana's actually..._

"..." Sabrina shook her head. She trusted the blonde... no, she _knew_ Hana was a nice girl deep inside. A kind and nice girl who wouldn't tolerate a crime syndicate in her own city, or even her father participating in such deeds. _Must be threatening the father, then._ The girl mulled over her theories for a while, before glancing at her Alakazam. "...what do you think, Wizard? Should I look into this?"

Her Alakazam shook its head. " _Zam._ "

She grinned. "Yeah, I know it's stupid. Guess what else is stupid?"

Sighing, the Alakazam eventually nodded, and followed after her as she walked towards the company's buildings.

From afar, they didn't notice a certain blonde staring.

Houtarou grinned. "Huh, would you look at that. More party time."

Floating besides him, his Uxie stirred a bit. " _Shii..._ "

* * *

"Boy, this passage is hella long," Ignis muttered.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "We _are_ sort of walking to another city."

"True, but it wasn't... ah, whatever." _Almost talked about the games,_ the ravenette sighed with relief.

Hana looked around. "It's not as clean as I expected it to be."

True to her words, there were occasionally empty potion cartridges lying around, or even opened (broken?) Pokéballs scattered here and there. Ignis did notice some items being unused and questionably abandoned, however, so she had picked some up in case she ever needed them in the future.

" _Saur!_ " her Ivysaur, Basil, chirped.

Oh, yeah, and she also let out her Pokémon to walk alongside her since... well, there really was no harm, and the thought of the HGSS games with their partner walking feature randomly came to her.

"How're you doing there, Kro? Need more blood packs?" Ignis asked.

Her Golbat landed on her shoulder and shook its head. " _Bat._ "

"Hm. Good."

Hana blinked. "You can talk to Pokémon?" she asked.

"What? No," Ignis said. "I'm just guessing stuff."

"And you're getting it right?" Terra asked.

"I mean... it'd sound more hungry if it wanted blood right now," the ravenette replied.

The others looked at her. "Sound more... hungry?"

"You know. It just said _bat_. If it wanted to say yes, it'd be like... _Golbaaat_. Or, uh... _baaaaat_."

Terra frowned. "...I think you've gone crazy."

"No, no, I'm fine, don't worry," Ignis said. _Fuck, I'm crazy._ "A-anyways, how much longer 'till the end?"

The three looked ahead. "Hm. Shouldn't be too long now."

"Is there another area before we get to the city?" Ignis said.

"Uh... I think there's another... um, Route 6? Or 5... or 7... I dunno."

"Oh, should be Route 6 then. Back there was Route 5," Ignis said. "...I think." _Oh no, I forgot the sign already._

Hana then nodded. It was Route 5, yes."

"Right." Terra looked back. "It shouldn't be much of a problem though, the city's still pretty close by. We could even run there in a few seconds from the passage exit."

"Huh. Neat. That sounds like fun," Ignis muttered. "Guess we'll get there soon."

As they continued walking further, they heard footsteps up ahead. "Oh, seems like someone's travelling through here to Cerulean," Hana noted.

They saw as a man appeared from the shadows, calmly heading their direction.

He paused upon seeing them and offered a smile. "Greetings, trainers."

"Good day, sir," Hana said.

"Uh, hi... I mean, good mor... afternoon?" Ignis said.

Terra nodded. "Hello."

The man laughed. "Hm. Seems like a fun group. Where might you three be heading?"

Terra pointed ahead. "Oh, we're just going to Vermilion City. My friends here wants to check out the S.S. Anne, that comes once a year."

"Wait, it what?" Ignis said. "Once a year? How do we know it'll be today then!?"

"Oh, Mr. Bill gave me tickets to the S.S. Anne," Terra said. "It's today."

"Huh."

The man chuckled again. "Indeed, a fun group. Yes, it's up ahead, and the ship should be arriving soon," he said. "You three best hurry on ahead now."

"Right. And where are you headed to, mister?" Hana asked.

"Oh, just strolling around, heading to Saffron City."

Ignis stared. "Saffron, huh. Well, I wouldn't recommend it, but whatever suits you I guess," she said. _Wait, this dude looks kiiiinda familiar..._

"Hmm. And why might that be?"

The three exchanged glances, before Ignis spoke up. "Uh, let's just say... there might be a... group of dangerous people... situated in Saffron City?"

"Bad people using a noble organization's name in vain," Hana added.

The man stared, before smiling. "I see. Well, I'm sure that everything will be fine. I am quite the strong trainer myself."

"Are you now?" Hana asked. "Then perhaps it wouldn't be a problem if I asked for a match? I'm interested in training to become stronger, after all."

"Hey now, we don't have time for that," Terra muttered.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't mind at all," the man said.

Ignis chuckled. "Wait, Hana, he just said he's capable of defending against a criminal organization. I think he's way out of our league, don't you think?"

Hana blinked. "Oh. Well... perhaps so, you do have a point."

 _Still though, that receding hairline... Vegeta much?_ Ignis stopped herself from laughing. "Aaaanyways, maybe another time, mister. I'm also interested in battling, but we've got important stuff to do- like the S.S.S. Anny!"

"S.S. Anne," Terra corrected.

Laughing yet again, the man nodded. "I see. I apologize for having taken your time, then. On you go, youngsters."

Ignis smiled. "Thanks, mister. Let's go, girls." The three walked past the man, who briefly looked back. _Okay, so it's like crossing Vegeta and a monk. He seems so damn familiar, almost like Giovanni from the Adventures manga._ The girl stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide. "...wait."

"What is it?" Terra asked.

The ravenette quickly turned around to see that the man had already disappeared, no traces of him left anywhere. Having assumed something was amiss, the Pikachu following her glared around the area, preparing its electricity as well. Her Pokémon were equally surprised and confused upon seeing the man was already gone.

"Oh, he's gone. ...wow, fast," Terra noted. The brunette then looked forward. "Well, whatever. Let's go, Ignis."

"...right." Ignis gulped and turned around, resuming her walk. _Shit. Shit. Shit. That just now. That asshole just now..._

"Is something the matter, Ignis?" Hana whispered to her. "It seems like you recognized that man just now..."

Ignis looked at the blonde, then at the brunette, then sighed. "It's... it's nothing."

"Um... if you say so," Hana replied.

 _There's no way I can let her attempt to chase him down,_ Ignis thought. _That guy's... waaaay out of our leagues right now._

"Oh, look, the exit," Terra said.

"R-right. Let's go, girls!" Ignis said and took off running towards the light, the others following her tiredly. "S.S. Sans, here I come!"

"S.S. Anne!" Terra corrected.

 _Just you wait, Giovanni,_ Ignis thought as she laughed back at her friend. _I'll get you soon enough._

* * *

"Come on, Drowzee. We're almost there," a Rocket grunt wheezed. His Drowzee groaned in reply, plenty damaged and almost collapsing. Both were overjoyed to see the safety shelter connecting Route 5 to Saffron City, however. "Just a little more... until we get back to headquarters..."

They stopped upon hearing a man's footsteps emerging from the underground shelter. The two sharply turned to it, preparing for yet another battle.

Frankly, the grunt was getting a bit tired of battling all day, having fended of various wild Pokémon he had accidentally offended amidst his escape from Cerulean.

"Who's there!?" he yelled.

"Easy there, dimwit." The man stepped out from the shadows, in his glorious business suit, an area on his chest that previously held an emblem, although it seemed to have been ripped out.

The Rocket grunt narrowed his eyes, before recognizing the man. "B-Boss Giovanni! Sir!" he exclaimed and saluted. Although confused, his Drowzee realized the man was an important person and similarly saluted as well.

Laughing, the man shook his head. "Spare me your pleasantries. Tell me, what was your given mission?"

"Oh, um... I believe I was to acquire any important TMs that could fuel our organization's power, from Cerulean City, sir."

"Hm. That's right, that was it, yes?" Giovanni closed his eyes, rubbing his chin, before opening them again. "And... the results?"

"I, um. I acquired the TM for the technique Dig, but was caught in the process," he said. Seeing Giovanni's unamused expression, he paled. "B-but, but it's alright! I, I entrusted the TM to an executive checking in on nearby grunts!"

This caused Giovanni to raise an eyebrow. "Oh? An... executive, you say?" he asked, to which the grunt nodded quickly. "Hm. I see... which executive?" he asked.

The Rocket grunt blinked. "U-um... I didn't get her name, sir. But... but she had black hair and was disguised as a regular trainer," he said. "She came to inform grunts to return to the base, because of... recent successes in a secret project, sir."

"...a secret... project, hm?" Giovanni rubbed his chin again. Every second spent interrogating this man, he was becoming more intrigued by recent events. "Elaborate for me this... secret project."

"Huh? Um... o-okay." Although the man was confused, he assumed the boss was testing him for trust and reliability. "R-right, so... it seems like our organization has been looking into cloning the mythical Pokémon Mew, sir! Ancestor to all Pokémon that exists. And, it seems like we've recently managed to make a clone of Mew, sir! A stronger and better clone, at that!" He felt himself drowning in excitement, fear evaporating. "I'm so happy, sir! We can rule Kanto soon... no, more than that! I can't believe we'd be able to rule the world soon!"

"...I... see." Giovanni narrowed his eyes. _Everything he said... is correct._ He looked back at the underground passage, a wicked grin forming on his face. "Interesting..."

"S-sir?" the grunt asked. "Was I... correct?"

"Yes, yes, you did fine," the leader assured. "...right, return to headquarters. There's been a change in plans," he said. "As for little miss executive... I'm having her do a different mission right now. No need to worry about her."

"Oh, that's a relief," the grunt said. "I thought she might face trouble and be captured or something, and would need our help."

Giovanni chuckled. "Surely you jest. Anyways... what's your number?"

The man blinked. "Number? ...oh, um, yes sir... I'm 0049, sir."

"Hm. Forty-nine, I see..." He grinned. "Might you be interested in... a promotion?"


	27. Ships Ahoy - The Hell is Love Anyways?

The S.S. Anne was huge.

That was no lie, and even if she wanted to lie for whatever reason there could be, Ignis found herself unable to lie.

The S.S. Anne was, as she would quote, one huge ass ship.

As the stree stared at the magnificence of the ride, the ravenette glanced sideways to see several people getting off the ship. The girl smiled and ran over to the sailor managing the line. "Hey there, howdy ho, ma friendly sailor man!"

The sailor raised an eyebrow. "Whuh?"

"Is the ship open to passengers right now?" Ignis asked, excitement boiling within.

"Uh, miss, we literally just stopped here. We're not heading off anywhere soon," the man informed.

Terra and Hana caught up to her. "Yeah, calm down, Ignis," Terra said. "Gods, you're like a little kid on the night before a field trip."

"I've never been on a ship, shove it!" Ignis hissed.

The sailor laughed. "Well, we won't be going anywhere soon, but I suppose you can get on the ship while it's taking a break." He turned around. "Just... wait for everyone to finish getting off first, okay?"

"Oookaaaaay..." Ignis muttered, feeling a bit impatient.

Hana chuckled. "Really like a child, huh."

"I heard that!"

* * *

Soon enough, the group was aboard the temporarily resting ship and looked around in awe. Despite the fact that the ship was pretty much only stopping at Vermilion for a while, it seemed like many people were set to stay on the ship and hadn't actually been looking to get down at Vermilion.

...well, it wasn't actually that surprising to Ignis, she supposed. It still seemed weird to her, however, but then again, it wasn't like she had ever rode ships before, so whether this was a completely normal thing, a weird thing, or even completely irrelevant, she had no clue.

She shook her head to get her mind back on topic- the girl looked around again. "Huh, you know what? This right now... would actually be a great chance to train," she said, remembering her Leeroy Jenkins-esque rush during her past's attempts at 'training', where she just ran around fighting people and beating htem with only physical attack moves.

Hana and Terra glanced at her. "What? We're on a ship though," Terra said.

"I'm not sure it'd be safe to battle on the ship, Ignis..." Hana said.

Ignis rolled her eyes "Please, if this thing could break that easily from Pokémon, then the wild ones in the sea would've caused a shipwreck a long time ago."

Terra blinked. "...that's... actually a valid point."

"I... I see! So it's completely fine to battle everyone here then!" Hana exclaimed.

The ravenette nodded. "Yeah, so, uh... go crazy, I guess? If you want to heal though, just... get off and visit the center down there, I guess."

"I understand! Then, I shall be off to train my team!" A fire lit within her spirit, Hana summoned her Pokémon and had them focus their attention on her. "My beastly friends! Today, we shall strengthen our power and train with everyone here! This way, the next time we run into those foul criminals, we can make them pay!"

Somehow, her Pokémon also possessed the same battle spirit as her and cheered alongside her.

" _Charr!_ " Emma the Charmeleon roared.

" _Zrrrr!_ " Mel the Beedrill buzzed.

" _Vrrhhh..._ " Yellow the Abra droned... before falling asleep.

" _Sprt..._ " Bell the Bellsprout weakly groaned.

Hana blinked. "O-oh, right, I haven't healed you yet..." She dug around in her purse. "Right. Um... here, I'll apply this bottle of potion on you," she said and carefully sprayed onto her Grass-type Pokémon's... sprout limbs, making sure not to accidentally rip them off, if it could happen at all. Then she looked at her Abra. "And Yellow is... asleep. Huh."

Ignis opened her Pokédex. "Hm. Seems like Abras need to sleep eighteen hours a day if they want to keep their powers stable."

"Really?" the blonde asked. "I didn't know that..."

"Of course you wouldn't," Ignis said. _Well, not that I can talk, that's news to me and Abra's a gen-one!_ She blinked. _But it's not like I'm too interested in dex lore._ She handed the Pokédex to Hana. "Well, since you're easily excited by Pokémon stuff, how about I lend this to you?"

"R-really?" Hana asked. "Are you sure? I don't think-"

"Nah, it'll be fine," Ignis chuckled. "Go have a blast training your team, Hana. I'll train mine on my own as well." She looked at the quiet brunette. "What about you, Terra?"

Terra stared at her quietly, before sighing, unamused. "Right. I'll just... stick with you, I guess."

"Mm. Sure, okay." The girl turned around. _Uh oh, I feel like I'm in for more trouble or something._ "Let's explore the ship then."

"Right, right."

Hana waved. "I'll meet up soon then. Have a good time, Ignis, Terra." The blonde then turned around and raised her fist. "Let's go, brethren!"

Again, her Pokémon roared with fire in their eyes, and they ran off with a war cry. (Then they were promptly stopped and warned by a nearby sailor, causing them to apologize in slight shame.)

Ignis laughed. "Would you look at that? What a wild girl."

"...sure." Terra sighed. _Idiot._

* * *

"Hmmhmmhmm... dum dee doo..." a random sailor hummed to himself as he swept the deck with his... broom... thing. As a gust of wind almost blew his sailor hat away, he dropped the broom and quickly grabbed his hat, keeping it tight on his head. "Whoop. Almost flew off, phew... the captain will never let me live it down if I lost it from the wind."

Suddenly he felt a presence behind him, and he turned around to see a certain yellow mouse. It glared at him.

He blinked. "Oh, a Pikachu! How cute." He smiled and waved to it. "Were's your trainer, young fella?"

The Pikachu hissed at him, to which he frowned. " _Pika pi!_ " it yelled.

The sailor scratched his head. "Um. No need to be hostile," he said. "...well, I'm not sure what's wrong, but are you looking for a battle?"

To his surprise, the Pikachu nodded. He grinned.

"Well, that's interesting. Self-training on the ship, huh? That's fine, I've got nothing better to do anyways." Adjusting his sailor cap, he reached for his Pokéball. "Be glad you're facing the great sailor of the seas, Dylan the Great! Come out, Horseas!" The man threw out three Pokéballs, all releasing Horseas ready to battle. "How's that? My three Horseas will wipe the deck! ...meta...phorically?"

Pikachu blinked, before growling, not exactly too caring of the sailor's problem with literature. " _Pikaa..._ " His cheeks began charging up electricity.

"Let's go then! Guard! ...engarde?"

" _Pika!_ "

* * *

Hana paused when she heard electricity crackle from somewhere and a scream of terror, accompanied by a certain electric rat's yell. "Huh. Is that Pikachu?" she asked herself. "Sounds like Ignis has started training." _Then again, her Pikachu might have gone off on its own... who knows?_ She chuckled upon imagining Ignis confusion when she notices the rat having walked off on its own.

The girl then resumed walking a different area of the ship. She looked around, having spotted various trainers but feeling a bit hesitant due to the earlier trouble she got into for her... over-the-top excitement at training.

That, and how the trainers in particular seemed more at ease rather than looking to battle.

Sighing, the girl headed deeper into the ship, wondering if maybe there were some people in their rooms who'd be interested in battling.

"...hm." _Then again, barging into people's_ _room and demanding a battle isn't exactly..._ The girl frowned. Somehow, looking for a battle was a bit... no, a _lot_ more difficult than she expected.

She pulled out a ticket Terra distributed and looked at its number. If there wasn't anything to do, she might as well as check out the assigned room she had- whether they were going to ride the boat on its trip out of Vermilion or not, she hadn't actually heard from Ignis yet, so it wouldn't hurt to explore.

In a few minutes, she found a door with her number on it, and looked inside.

Empty, but clean.

Hana smiled. "The staff here must work really hard to keep this ship clean."

" _Charrrr?_ " Emma the Charmeleon voiced a curious noise.

She petted the bipedal salamander's head. "I'm sure we'll find a good battle later. I suppose everyone here needs a rest, so we should give them time to relax."

Seemingly content with that answer, each of her Pokémon made their way into the room to sit back and relax.

Hana looked up at the ceiling, her heart rate slowing down as she felt herself becoming comfy with the silence and peacefulness.

"Everything sure is calm," she remarked.

" _Charr,_ " her Charmeleon replied.

* * *

"Well, look, I'm not saying I changed my mind about rushing into the whole criminal syndicate business," Ignis explained to her friend, "but like... as crazy as I probably seem to you, even I know it's stupid to rush into it without a stronger team."

"And that's a good point, I agree," Terra said, "but you still have to understand where I'm coming from. No normal teen gets involved with fighting against evil organizations anywhere!"

The ravenette fought the urge to laugh at that, considering how literally every main Pokémon game revolved around kids doing exactly just that. "And likewise, I agree too, but what do you expect me to do? Leave it to the police?"

"Yes!" Terra said.

From afar, a random girl in a skirt frowned. "Um, excuse me? We're in a battle here!" she yelled. "My Pidgey's about to-"

"Basil, Razor Leaf!" Ignis quickly yelled.

" _Saur!_ " Basil aimed its backside flower at a Pidgey rushing at it, which spat out leaves like projectiles, all of which slashed across the trainer's bird Pokémon repeatedly. Eventually, the Pidgey fell to the wooden deck, unconscious.

"N-no! Pidgey!"

Ignis snickered. "Heh. Easy as pie. ...cake?"

"Forget that, listen to me!" Terra said.

"Hey, come on, we already discussed this back at Saffron," Ignis said. "Why are we talking about this again? We'll all be fine, I keep telling you."

"You're the one who said you wanted to talk about it again!" Terra said. "Gods, Ignis, you're starting to become such a headache for me now, I just... it's just... gah!" She flailed her arms around as if to exaggerate how oddly annoying Ignis was being, which only amused the girl even further.

"Well, um. Can't argue with that," Ignis replied. "...okay then, let's drop that and talk about the other thing."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "What other thing?"

"...you know... that other thing." Ignis cleared her throat as if her friend would understand, but it seemed like that didn't help much. "...okay, look, uh. I wanted to talk about... you know."

"No, Ignis, I have no clue," Terra muttered.

 _God damn it Terra, don't be difficult,_ the ravenette thought. Then she paused. _...god damn it me, why don't I have experience in love?_ "Okay, so, like... you, uh, you like me. Right?"

Terra stared at her for a while, and the girl could tell her friend was most likely wondering why the heck this topic was coming up right now. Eventually, she sighed. "Yes, Ignis. I really, really like you. But you're too much of an idiot to notice that," she said.

 _Wow, she is pissed._ Ignis cleared her throat again. "Aaaand sorry about that. Look, I'm... I'm not good at that stuff, okay? Sorry," she said. "It's just been bothering me this entire time, and... well, actually, it's only been almost an hour since that stuff at Saffron, huh?"

"Yep."

Ignis shook her head. "Um, so what I wanted to say is... uh, I'm sorry, I cannot go out with you?" she said. _Please don't become a yandere._

Terra blinked. Then... "Ignis, literally nobody was asking for an answer to that," she said.

"...what?"

The brunette frowned. "As hurtful as that was, I never actually asked you to be my girlfriend."

Ignis returned the stare with her own equally confused look. "What? But... you like me."

"Yes."

"...am I missing something here?"

Terra sighed. "Yeah, I think you're making some huge jumps there." She looked around, before looking back at the ravenette, unamused. "Look, Ignis. Yes, I like... I love you. I really, really... fffffucking love you. Yep. But as we were arguing back then, you're busy being concerned about the whole Team Rocket thing," she said. "So this is how it actually is- you were just comforting me, but you planned on focusing on Team Rocket first, and maybe thinking about love later. Right?"

 _...well, yeah._ "That sounds about right, yes."

"Then why are you worrying about my feelings at all?" Terra asked. "Don't let that distract you, for God's sake. I already know how much of an idiot you are anyways. Just as you say you're fine, I'm fine. Does that make you feel any better?"

Ignis blinked. "Uhh... doesn't exactly make me feel better, but not worse as well..."

"...okay, look, we both know we're terrible at this," Terra muttered.

"Yeah, true that."

"But actually, now that I think about it..." The brunette's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who kissed me in the first place!"

Ignis' face burned red. "W-wha- well, you were going to run away!" she exclaimed. "Knowing you liked me, I thought that was the only way to-"

"You just figured that out at that time!" Terra interrupted.

"S-so what!?"

"Gaaaah! You're an idiot, Ignis!"

"Oh, oh yeah!? Takes one to know one!"

The two glared at each other for a while.

A nearby passenger slowly inched towards them. "Um... could you two, like-"

"Eat a Diglett! / Suck my dick!"

The passenger jumped in surprise and scattered off.

Silence taking over again, the two looked back at each other, before they suddenly laughed.

"What the hell was that!? 'Eat a Diglett', ahaha!"

"And you said, like, 'suck my dick', but you don't have a dick!"

The two's voices resonated around the deck, confusing the hell out of nearby passengers who eventually decided the two were the weird sort of friends-slash-couple, soon walking away in hopes of not getting caught up in the middle of their... whatever was going on.

* * *

" _...charr._ "

"Mmhm."

" _...char._ "

"..."

" _...chaarrr!_ "

Hana blinked. She pushed herself up. "What's wrong, E-" She stopped and stared at the door. Although she hadn't heard anyone entering her room, the girl saw a man standing in front of it, facing her. "Oh, um. Greetings. Who might you be?"

The man didn't give any response, but looked up at her. His spiky brown hair was unfamiliar to her. So was his purple jeans and black shirt, really.

But there was something in his eyes that slightly intimidated her.

Frowning, Hana got up. "Can I... can I help you?"

Still verbally unresponsive, the man narrowed his eyes.

Hana stared. "Are you... challenging me to a battle?"

Finally, as a response to her words, the man nodded. She smiled.

"Oh, finally! A battle to help strengthen my Pokémon!" She took off her hat and placed it asides her, then looked around the room. Within her selection of Pokémon, Yellow the Abra and Bell the Bellsprout were sleeping, Mel the Beedrill seemed to be preparing to strike at the man in case of hostility, and Emma the Charmeleon seemed rather excited. She chuckled. "Alright! Emma, let's train you first!"

The salamander looked to her with a child-like grin. " _Charrr!_ "

Similarly, the man grinned. He brought his hand up and snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a Pokémon manifested in front of him.

"W-what?" Hana voiced her confusion. She spent a few seconds wondering how that happened, but shook her head to regain focus. Her opponent was a giant, overgrown mouse with two giant teeth at the front of its mouth. Remembering Ignis had lent her her Pokédex, the girl took it out to scan the enemy in front of her. And to her surprise...

 _'No data found. Entity not recognized._ _'_

The blonde blinked. "...w-what?" She looked back up from the screen, staring at the giant rat, before looking down again. "It this thing... broken?"

" _Char!_ " her Charmeleon called.

She jumped. "O-oh, right, never mind this for now." She put the Pokédex down and regained her smile. "It's time to train ourselves!"


	28. Ships Ahoy - Spectres Within

"God, what are we even doing?" Ignis chuckled, looking up at the blue sky. "I don't even know how to describe that just now, we were just... total idiots."

Terra rolled her eyes, equally amused. "Said the bigger idiot, am I right?"

"Hey, that's mean," Ignis said, faking a frown, but it didn't even last five seconds before she laughed again. "Jeez. Stupid." _Moments like these... yeah. Fun, enjoyable, stupid moments with a friend... I missed this._

"Same to you," the brunette said with a grin.

The two remained silent for a while, before Ignis sighed. "Okay, but seriously, back to topic."

"Really, Iggy?" Terra said. "Back to the awkward and stupid stuff just now?"

"I want to address it!" Ignis said defensively. _Oh, now she calls me Iggy again._ "I mean, I'm still lost on what to do, you know."

The brunette scoffed. "Right, right, if you really want that then sure. What do we talk about, then?"

"Hmm... let's see. I'll, uh..."

"Yeah?"

The ravenette frowned. _Real helpful here, Terra._ "Okay, so, you like me. And I'm not sure how to feel about that, really," she said. "But to be honest, I think you're cute too, and wouldn't mind it that much if I had to date you," she said.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Really?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I don't know jack shit about loving someone or that mushy stuff, and totally no experience with it." She looked back at the brunette, smiling. "But honestly... I feel like I'd be fine being yours. No kidding."

A moment of silence passed before Terra chuckled. "Stupid. You're stupid." She sighed and looked down at the waves, before chuckling again. "...that makes me happy though. Thanks, Iggy."

"...no problemo." Ignis then looked back to the sky. _...but the next thing..._ she gulped. "...you mind if I add more baggage to this problem?"

Terra blinked. "...uh, depends? What're you thinking of saying next?"

"Well. Um." Ignis fidgeted with her fingers. "What if... what if I said, on the topic of 'cute', I also think Hana's... well, kinda cute?"

Terra slowly turned to look at her, unamused.

The ravenette flinched. "W-well, you know. I mean, technically we're not dating yet, so... would that make me scum?" she asked. "It's... it's not like I'm cheating on you, is it? ...I mean, I'm asking because I don't know, not that I'm justifying anything..."

"...Ignis, sometimes you make me want to strangle you," Terra muttered.

"W-whoooaaa there, Nelly," the girl said and backed away.

"Jeez, relax, I'm not going to go all batshit crazy on you," Terra said. "Who's Nelly anyways?"

"Beats me." _Where'd I even get that from? I just know it's from somewhere on the Internet,_ Ignis thought.

"But, okay, look..." Terra sighed. "I'm... going to be honest. I don't like Hana. It feels like... it feels like she's kinda intruding on our relationship, you know?"

"...but we're not-"

Terra narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Yes, I know, Ignis. We're not dating. No need to repeat that," she said. "But, just... I dunno. Guess I'm just an ass, haha. I... I don't like her. I just... I just don't like her, okay? That's really all I can say." Ignis looked around to make sure the blonde wasn't here, then let her continue. "But really... if you really think you like her, and if one day you choose her over me... honestly, I'd be fine with that, I guess."

"...you would?" Ignis asked.

"Gods, Arceus, Ignis, the hell kind of girl do you think I am?" Terra asked. "I know I'm a bit crazy over you sometimes, and kinda clingy, but I'm not going to go psycho and stab her or anything."

 _Well, that's a relief. And now for witty remarks..._ "Yeah, I mean, she's the one with the sword, so..."

The brunette stifled a laugh. "Smartass."

"You know you love me."

"Don't push it, Ignis."

"Yes ma'am."

Sharing another laugh together, they quietened down when they felt someone approaching them. The two turned their heads to see a man standing some distance behind them, hands on his hat. "Oh, another challenger here for you. Huh."

Ignis smiled. "Well, I guess this takes priority." She grinned and readjusted her hat. "You don't mind, right?"

"You'd go ahead and battle anyways, Iggy. Just do it."

"Right." She turned back to the man. "Alright, let's do this, good sir!" _...again, this guy also looks familiar..._ "Basil, we'll start with you!"

" _Saur!_ " Basil chirped.

The man nodded and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a Charmeleon appeared in front of him.

Both girls exchanged glances. "...what was that?" Terra asked.

"I... I dunno," Ignis replied. _No, really. Trippy._ The girl readjusted her cap again. "That was... weird, but I'll set that aside for now." She looked at her Golbat, wondering if she should switch, but looking back at her Ivysaur, Basil seemed excited to fight despite the obvious type disadvantage. "...hmm. Alright then. Get ready to battle, Basil."

" _Saur!_ " the Ivysaur chirped.

* * *

Hana paled. Her opponent was extremely powerful, she had noticed during her battle. However, that didn't bother her too much- strong trainers were out there throughout the world, and she accepted the possibility that she would lose. However, this mysterious man's giant rat Pokémon was anything but normal- the way it moved was extraordinary.

It hopped around with speed surpassing that of fictional heroes she saw within the TV in her childhood, leaving trails of what seemed like mist as the others' eyes had trouble keeping up.

Before her Charmeleon even managed to lock its eyes onto the Pokémon, it was already in front of the lizard with its jaws wide open.

The man yelled out a command, but she couldn't even hear anything from him nor his Pokémon, as its teeth slashed her Fire-type starter. "Emma!"

" _Charr!_ " the Charmeleon hissed. It growled at the oddly ghost-like rat, raising its claws.

"Um, Metal Claw!" Hana said. Emma nodded and charged energy into its claws, which grew slightly and became enveloped in metal. It brought down its claws at the rat, which swiftly jumped back and bounced towards the walls again.

The lizard's eyes darted towards all four directions as it tried to get a hold on the opponent's location. The man yelled out another command, but Hana still couldn't tell until the moment he finished, when she realized he was making another move.

"H-here it comes again!" she warned. Emma tensed and braced for an attack, to which the rat stopped short in front of her with its fangs enlarged to an unnatural degree. "Um! S-Smokescreen!"

With no choice, Emma complied and charged a ball of dust from its mouth, spitting it to the ground. The room was soon enveloped in black dust. " _C-charr!_ "

"D, don't worry! We, um, we got this!" Hana reassured. She quickly grabbed and opened Ignis' Pokédex again, this time scanning her own Pokémon. "Umm, umm... let's see... okay, lots of moves..." She then heard a vicious squeak from beyond the smoke, and all of a sudden the rat Pokémon emerged from the smoke, fangs yet again aimed at her Charmeleon. "D-dodge it!"

Emma nodded and jumped back, but to both's dismay, it was the last jump it could do as the Fire-type was now directly in front of her.

Hana's hands tightened its grip. "O-okay, use Leer!"

In the small time they had, Emma managed to send a fierce glare at the rat before it disappeared back into the smoke. They hoped the enemy was affected by that, at least. " _Char!_ "

"O-okay! Next, endure its next attack when it comes!" Hana said.

" _Char!?_ "

The blonde nodded. "This time you'll be fine! ...I- I think."

As if on cue, the rat Pokémon returned again, with the same attack it used every time it attacked. The Charmeleon didn't dodge this time, bracing itself for the attack.

"Emma! Grab hold of the... the thing!"

Its eyes widening, Emma quickly realized what the plan was and grinned. It opened its claws and, as the rat's teeth struck its stomach, it hissed and grabbed the rat's body. The giant rat yelped in surprise, but Charmeleon kept a tight grip on it, making sure not to let it go.

"Yes!" Hana cheered. "N-now... now use Ember!" she said.

Emma opened its mouth wide, charging up a fireball in its mouth. The mouse Pokémon kept struggling within its claws, but failed to even loosen the lizard's grip. In a few seconds, a fireball was shot at its face, and the Pokémon screamed before- to both's surprise- it evaporated into mist.

Hana's jaw dropped. "W-what!?" she squeaked. She looked back to the man, who laughed. The girl paled. "D-did we just... did we just..."

Suddenly, the man snapped his fingers, and a new Pokémon appeared. This time it was a Pokémon similar to a Pidgey, but seemingly more grown.

The blonde blinked. _He's... not bothered by that just now, huh..._ She shook her head. _I guess that doesn't matter, then..._ "A-alright, I guess we should continue. Next up... um, Mel! Let's go!"

Her Charmeleon took a seat next to her whilst her Beedrill flew to the center of the room, preparing its pointy appendages.

" _Bzzzzt!_ " it hissed.

* * *

Ignis burrowed her eyebrows. Something wasn't right at all- Pokémon definitely didn't just mysteriously vanish like that, and the man she was battling didn't even made use of any Pokéballs at all. Even Terra herself sensed something was odd. "Um, what was that just now?" the brunette asked. "His Pokémon just... uh... do you think-"

"Dunno... like, I'm also lost here," the ravenette replied. "But... but I don't think I killed it or anything." She readjusted her cap. "...although they do say the Charmander line's life force rests in its tail's flame..."

"Yeaaaah, I don't think that's it though..." Terra said.

The man paid no attention and snapped his fingers. Another Pokémon warped into existence on the deck- this time a Pikachu.

Ignis frowned. _A Charmeleon and a Pikachu? Odd._ She stared at the man in front of her, trying to identify him. _Seriously, I know I recognize this guy from somewhere... and his team is quite..._ Suddenly, the man's Pikachu charged up its electricity. "U-uh, Basil, come back. Time for Kro this time!"

The Ivysaur nodded and scurried back to her, whilst her Golbat nodded and positioned himself onto the battlefield.

" _Golbaaa!_ "

"...wait, are you doing this on purpose?" Terra asked.

"Doing what?"

"You chose a Grass-type to fight a Fire-type, and now you're going against an Electric-type with a part Flying-type."

Ignis blinked. "...you know what? You're right, that was st-"

The Pikachu scurried over towards the Golbat, sparks flowing out of its cheeks.

Her thoughts immediately eliminated all other distractions as her mind focused on the battle. "Fuck! Kro, uh, dodge and Wing Attack!"

Kro nodded and quickly flew out of the charging electric rat's way, then charged energy within its wings before releasing barely visible waves of air slices at the enemy. The man's Pikachu leaped sideways to avoid each blast, and then charged its electricity again before releasing it towards the bat. Before Ignis could tell it to dodge, it was struck and screamed in pain.

"Fuck! Kro, you alright!?" Ignis asked.

Kro weakly nodded and flew back, creating more distance between it at the Pikachu, scowling at it. " _Baaat!_ "

Ignis narrowed her eyes. "Damn it, Pikachus are fast... alright, Absorb or Leech Life, whatever!" she commanded in slight panic. To her surprise, Kro nodded and flew back towards the Pikachu. It flew past the rat, and did a quick U-turn to aim its fangs at the mouse Pokémon's back.

The man said something inaudible, and the Pikachu jumped away to dodge.

 _Missed! Then-_ "Air Cutter!" Ignis quickly said.

Without even questioning whether it should perform the previous move, the Golbat picked up on the change and shot out energized wind blasts from its wings again. The waves sliced through the Pikachu, sending it spiraling towards the deck's rails. It landed back on the deck, before eyeing the Golbat with an expression she couldn't quite make out.

Suddenly, it jumped towards Kro, who wasn't expecting such a quick recovery. It grabbed onto the bat's back and rode on its thin back.

"Kro! Shake it off!" Ignis said.

Kro tried flailing around to get the rat Pokémon off of it, but to no avail. The man mouthed a command, and the group paled as the opposing Pikachu began charging up its electric energy.

"Fuck, fuck, uh, Kro! Dive into the sea!" Ignis quickly yelled.

"Wait, what!?" Terra said. "If you do that-"

Kro immediately did what its trainer had commanded and dove into the sea, the rat Pokémon on its back. Terra winced, half expecting several Water-types to start floating to the surface, but frowned when nothing happened.

"...uh?"

"I... I guess they wouldn't do that," Ignis explained, after having held her breathe. She had only just realized the possible consequences of what could've happened, and was immensely relieved the Pikachu didn't released its electricity.

Soon, Kro flew out of the waters, wet but still determined to fight. To Ignis' relief, the Pikachu wasn't on it anymore, and was swimming to the surface of the ocean. Her smile was cut short when it quickly found some random Pokémon to jump on top, however. It eyed the Golbat again, once more charging electricity in its cheeks, preparing to jump back onto the ship.

Ignis pointed at it. "Wing Attack!" she said, and Kro nodded and began shooting air waves at it again. With no easy way to avoid the attack, the Pikachu had no choice but to dive back into the water. This time, she narrowed her eyes at the waters, trying to make out the shape of the Pikachu under the waters. After spotting its body, she pointed at it. "Kro! Prepare to Bite!" she said.

As soon as the Pikachu jumped out the surface again, Kro had already descended towards it, and gave it no time for response as it sunk its teeth deep into the rat. It squealed in surprise before, similarly to the man's previous Pokémon, it evaporated into mist, once more to everyone's surprise.

"I-it happened again..." Terra said. "What was that!?" she asked and turned to the man. However... "Huh? He's... gone?"

Ignis blinked and turned around, to see that her opponent was nowhere to be seen aboard the ship. "What the..."

 _Don't tell me... was that a... ghost?_ she wondered.

* * *

Hana growled at her opponent. "Mel! Um, T... Twinneedle!"

Her Beedrill nodded and aimed its needle limbs at its opponent, shooting it faster than its insect wings flapped. The bird Pokémon it was fighting, however, quickly flapped its wings and narrowly avoided the attack, before glaring at the bee. " _Bzzt!_ "

It charged its own body and flew towards the bee, its beak stretched out as if to stab it.

The blonde shivered. "N-no! Dodge it!"

Mel quickly flew out the way, similarly avoiding the attack by sheer luck. It then aimed its rapidly regrown drills at the bird Pokémon again. " _Bzt!_ "

 _It grows fast, but I'm worried...!_ Hana took a glance at her Pokédex. "F-Furry Attack!"

The Beedrill pulled its limbs back, before it begun rapidly stabbing at the bird Pokémon's direction. The man's Pokémon danced around dodging each blow, looking for a chance to attack back, but found no opportunity to as the Beedrill's stabbing speed was way too high. Then-

"Twinneedle again!" Hana yelled.

Before the Pokémon could even react, the needles it had been dodging shot out again and pierced through the bird. With a gasp, it tried to roar in retaliation, but ended up disappearing into ghostly mist as well.

Hana blinked. "G-goodness, it happened again..." she whispered. "It's almost like... it's almost like a g-ghost..." the girl remarked. "B-but good job, Mel!"

" _Bzzzt!_ " the Beedrill buzzed in response, quite proud of itself.

Confidence growing, Hana turned around. "A-alright! I'm ready for... more?" She looked around. The man had completely disappeared. Her Pokémon were equally confused, unsure of where the man had gone to, or how he left without making a noise at all.

The blonde scratched her head.

"Huh, that's odd. He was definitely here, wasn't he?" she asked.

Emma the Charmeleon nodded. " _Charr, char._ "

She rubbed her chin. "It's almost like he was... was..." The girl's eyes widened and she paled. "G-g-ghost!?"

The Charmeleon gave her an odd look before recalling her confession back in Mt. Moon, having been afraid of the dark. Her being scared of ghosts was... not surprising, now that it thought about it. Fear taking over her, Hana jumped on her bed and covered herself with the bed sheets.

"O-oh no... I... I'm being haunted..." she whimpered.

Her Pokémon- minus the sleeping Abra- exchanged amused glances.

"Hana? You in there?" a familiar voice soon asked from outside.

The blonde peeked out from her sheets. "O-oh, um... I'm in here!"

The door opened and Ignis and Terra slowly stepped inside. They stared at the blonde, still mostly covered by the sheets. "Uh... do I want to know?" Ignis asked.

"I-it was a ghost!" Hana said. "A ghost who looked like a jerk, wearing purple jeans and battling me with his unidentifiable giant rat and bird Pokémon!"

"...I think she's finally snapped," Terra whispered.

"Oh, be quiet, you," Ignis muttered. _A ghost with purple jeans? That doesn't really help anything._ She rubbed her chin. _But if we talk about giant rats..._ "Is that, like... Raticate and Pidgeotto?" she asked.

"The whuh?" Hana raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, right, gimme back that Pokédex," Ignis said. The blonde handed it over, and she searched around the device. In a few seconds, she found the entries for the Pokémon mentioned and showed it to Hana. "They're like, uh, these, but... evolved."

The swordswoman stared for a while. "Uh, the bird... might have looked like a Pidgey, yes," she said. "Pidgeotto, huh? So that's what they're called..."

"And the mouse thing?" Terra asked.

"Um... it was huge and covered in brown fur, and had two giant teeth, and-"

"Yeah, that's Rattata's next form," Ignis said. "Okay, so it was a Raticate." She looked out the window. _A Raticate? Only Blue comes to mind._

"You okay there?" Terra asked.

The ravenette shook her head. "No, just thinking." _Why would Blue- or Green, god, good going localization- why would Blue be a ghost at all?_ she wondered. Then she thought back to the mysterious man she battled. _A Charmeleon and a Pikachu... wait, doesn't Red also have those two at some point?_ Thinking back to her play through of the HGSS games, the epic final battle against (Champion?) Red (coupled with the best battle theme in her opinion) pitted her against a team of Pikachu, Lapras, Snorlax... and the three Kanto starters' final forms.

Ignis blinked. _Wait a second, but I'm supposed to be the Red of this world,_ she said. _And Terra's, like... obviously the Gre... Blue... Gary, of this world._

Then the girl's mind went back to their encounter with the researcher Bill.

* * *

 _"So, like, there I was, my experiment failed, and me turned into a Clefairy!" Bill exclaimed. "I was testin' out a sort of, well, fusion method with Pokémon, because who wouldn't want that? It sounds cool as jeepers peepers!"_

The hell does that even mean? _Ignis wondered. "Uh, sure. And... you were stuck like that?"_

 _"Sort of, yeah," Bill said. "The Clefairy's DNA was cloned and fused with me, which is a kind of success actually, now that I think about it." He laughed. "Buuuut, then I wasn't tall enough to operate the machines to revert myself back. That's when this kid showed up in my house!"_

 _"Who was he?" Ignis asked._

 _Then Bill frowned. "Well, that's... that's the thing, y'see. This kid... I can't exactly remember who he was, or how he looked like. But I was sure that it was a damn young boy from Pallet Town, aw'right. Had a Pikachu and Bulbasaur with 'im, I feel."_

 _"...was his name... Red?" Ignis then asked, her eyes narrowed._

 _"Mmm, like I said, can't remember nothin' about him," Bill said. "...but y'know, now that I think about it... Red sounds like a fine name for him. Huh."_

 _"...right." Ignis scratched her head. "Well, that's a rather interesting story, but I have to get going. I just remembered some business, haha." She got up and smiled. "I'll come back to hear everything later, if that's fine with you?"_

 _"Ah, feel free to take yer time, Ignis," the researcher laughed. "My door's always open for you and your friends!"_

 _Bowing courteously, Ignis made her exit._

* * *

Ignis frowned. _I thought the world's change might have turned it into a mere coincidence, but... I'm sure of it. That was Red who rescued Bill._ She bit her lips, looking out the window once more, as Hana started describing the ghostly man to Terra in a frenzy. _But I'm also pretty sure, the dude I fought just now was also Red. And Hana fought Gary..._

She then looked back at the blonde. _So that means Gary exists in this world, too._

 _If this takes place in the future... shouldn't they have become big names by this point?_

...Ignis shook her head. _No, this world is underdeveloped compared to the games. Something happened and the world's advancement got delayed._

 _But what could've..._

The girl paused.

Slowly, she replayed the facts in her head.

 _Red exists._

 _So Gary must exist._

 _Red appeared as a ghost to battle me._

 _Gary appeared as a ghost to battle Hana._

Her eyes widened slightly.

 _Red and Gary are ghosts._

Ignis' mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.

She felt the color drain from her face.

 _Red and Gary are dead...?_


	29. The Dead That Don't Exist

Terra sighed. "I think I kinda get what you're saying, Hana," she said, "but like I said... ghosts aren't real. Maybe you were just so caught up in it that the guy left without you noticing?"

"B-but Ms... um, you and Ignis... also met someone who disappeared like a ghost too!" the blonde said. "And, and like... Ghost-type Pokémon exists, so ghosts must exist!" she added.

 _Well, she's got a point,_ the brunette grimaced. "Yeah, but... ugh, you know what? This isn't getting anywhere." She turned to Ignis. "What do you think, Ignis?"

Ignis, however, who had been lost in thought, suddenly pulled her phone out.

"M-Ms... uh, Ignis?" Hana asked.

As the girl dialed a number, she glared at her companions. "Terra, Hana. We're getting off this boat," she said.

The two girls exchanged glances. "Uh, wow. You're also caught in this ghost stuff?" Terra asked.

"No, I don't really mind ghosts that much," Ignis said and held the phone to her ears, waiting for the person she called to pick up. "We just don't need anything from here anymore... probably."

Hana tilted her head, confused, but silent. "...well, if you say so..." she eventually said and began recalling her Pokémon back into her Pokéballs. "Let us proceed to get off, then."

"Right. Ignis, let's go," Terra said.

The ravenette nodded and followed as she kept listening to the beeping of her phone. Then, someone picked up.

 _"Hello? Ignis?"_

"Hi, Professor Oak," Ignis greeted, to which Terra raised an eyebrow. "Sorry for not calling earlier, I've been caught up in stuff."

On the other side of the phone, the celebrity laughed. _"Oh, it's fine. I'd rather you enjoy your travels instead of worrying about an old geezer like me."_

"Oh, don't say that. But yeah, I know you'll be fine without us," Ignis chuckled. "But anyways, I called to ask something about Pallet Town."

 _"About our town, huh? Why, did you get into researching places and histories or something? ...now that I think about it, that would actually be quite the fascinating subject to look into..."_

Ignis shook her head out of habit. "No, mostly not. I just wanted to inquire something." She paused for a while and briefly wondered how to word her questions.

"Ignis...?" Terra whispered.

"I'll... explain to both of you later," the girl replied, earning worried looks from the brunette and the blonde. "Okay, so, Professor Oak... do you know the population of Pallet Town?"

The professor mulled over this for a short while. _"Number of people in our town, huh? Well, it's not like I keep track of it, but if I do a mental head count... let's see... somewhere around eight, I suppose?"_

Ignis blinked. _Eight? That'd make sense in the games, but..._ "Wait, what about everyone in the lab?" she asked.

 _"Oh, Ignis, are you growing old like me? Most of them are from other towns and cities, remember?"_ Oak answered, another chuckle escaping to her. _"Some even fly in from other regions. It's their dedication in our researches that keeps them from quitting their jobs after all, travelling a long way just to get here isn't that big of a deal."_

"O-oh, right, I got that." _Huh, that's news to me, but not important._ Ignis gulped as she prepared to ask more. "Can you list them for me?"

By this point they were nearing the path down from the ship. A sailor was about to bid them good luck on their travels, but, noticing the girl on the phone, decided to remain silent and respectfully wave to the two who weren't.

 _"Hm... odd request, but I'm sure you have your reason. Alright then."_ Oak cleared his throat. _"First there's me, Cacao, Bruce, and Lauren, all who stay at my lab's. I knew the unused dormitory spacing from the cancelled school plans would come in handy,"_ he laughed.

Ignis raised an eyebrow. _Damn, I know I'd have loved school if it was in this world._

 _"Next, you know. Your mother, Violet, and my granddaughter, Daisy."_ Oak then chuckled. _"Speaking of which, how is Terra doing?"_

"Uh, Terra's doing fine, no need to worry about her," Ignis said.

Terra stared at her. "Oh, does he want to-"

"I'll make sure she doesn't do anything stupid too," the ravenette quickly added with a smug grin, to the brunette's (amused) annoyance.

 _"Haha, right, right. Anyways, then there's our neighbors Honey and, um... Sessil, I think."_

 _God, the names are so weird here,_ Ignis thought. "Okay, thanks. Do you mind one more question?" she asked.

 _"No, I think I'd be fine with answering whatever,"_ Oak said.

"Alright. Do you ever remember having a... grandson?" Ignis asked.

On the other side, Oak went silent with deep thought, while Terra stared at Ignis like she was trying to ask about something completely unheard of. The brunette struggled to make her own remarks, but couldn't even come up with what to say. Then Oak shifted. _"Well, to be honest, back when my son was still alive, I've always wished to have both a granddaughter and a grandson,"_ Oak admitted. _"But of course, we ended up with two granddaughters instead. But I'm not saying I wished things had been different, I still love both my granddaughters the same,"_ he said.

"Grandpa..." Terra whispered, slightly touched, somehow.

 _"If I had three grandchildren I would've still been happy nevertheless. It's a shame I never did get a grandson, but I suppose that's just how life turned out."_ Oak sighed. _"And then, I also wish my son and his wife were still alive... truly a tragedy they went through."_

"U-uh, right, thanks for answering my question," Ignis said. _That story fascinates me but I'll save hearing it for later._ "I, uh, think that's all I needed for today. Thanks again, professor."

 _"It's not a problem at all, Ignis. Now, you go and have fun making the best of your journey, you hear?"_ he replied and laughed. _"And keep my daughter safe, got that?"_

"I will, don't worry. Talk to you again later." Ignis hung up the call. _He never had a grandson. Gary never existed._ She put her phone away and looked around, spotting the Pokémon Center of Vermilion City. "Alright, let's find ourselves a room there," she said. _But Gary does exist, as a ghost._

"Um, Ignis? What was that?" Terra asked. "The stuff you've been asking my grandpa... something tells me you're not telling us something," she said.

"...I'm going to be honest and say, yeah, I might be hiding some things from you two," Ignis said. "Buuuut for now it's mostly speculation and stuff." _Actually, wait, why did I even tell her that? ...then again, I think they're girls I can trust. But..._

"W-well, I can't say I'm not curious," Hana said, "but I'd be fine if you wished not to tell us."

"Mmhm... thanks."

Terra frowned. "Why do I feel like it's also somewhat involved with the Team Rocket business?"

"Huh?" Ignis blinked. "Oh, no, don't worry about that. It's not actually related to..." _Wait..._ She paused. _Team Rocket remains almost the same as the Team Rocket in the games. But this world takes place eight years after when the game should've started._ The girl rubbed her chin, to the others' confusion her theorist gears turning again. _If I assume Red and Gary existed, this Team Rocket could be the remnant wanting to revive Team Rocket._

 _...but I haven't seen any of those Rocket admins Archer and... uh... Petrol? Something._ Her eyes narrowed. _And Giovanni's still here- I mean, he literally just walked past us in that underground path._

"Ignis?" Terra asked, to no avail.

 _So if this_ isn't _T_ _eam Rocket's remnants, and yet Red still could've existed... who stopped Team Rocket and kept them as weak and quiet as how it should be eight years ago?_ Then, another question came to her. _And wait, what about the other villain teams in other regions? What happened to them? Did they even do anything at all? ...no, forget them for now, let's focus on Red. And Gary._

 _If Red and Gary should exist, but doesn't seem to exist, then... is there memory wiping involved?_ Ignis looked up. _I mean, I'm probably still missing many more things, but-_

A face came to her mind. Two, actually. The smug-looking, blonde haired man she met in Saffron, Houtarou Yumazaki, and his Uxie.

 _No, wait. You can't control what gets erased from people's memories with Uxie,_ she quickly thought. _She... uh, it, erases memories completely, after all._

"Is she going to be in deep thought for a long time?" Terra asked herself.

Hana shrugged. "Maybe someone should go get the room while she's thinking about... her problems."

Terra looked at her.

The blonde sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll do that, I suppose."

Back to Ignis, she was now thinking up more possibilities in her head. _I mean, Cyrus created those red chain things to control Dialga and Palkia. Maybe there's a method to control Uxie's memory wipe powers somewhere, somehow?_ She began tapping her feet impatiently, frustrated by all these mysteries she was digging up. _The hell is up with all these crazy conspiracies or shit? My head's starting to hurt._

"Uh, Ignis?" Terra said. "Earth to Ignis... Terra to Ignis. Pft."

"...okay, I should hit you for that," Ignis muttered.

"Y-you were paying attention?" the brunette asked.

Ignis rolled her eyes. "Surprising, whoop de doo. Anyways, sorry. Let's get to the room Hana's getting for us." Terra nodded, still unsure, but nevertheless glad they weren't standing still anymore. As they headed towards the Pokémon Center, however, Ignis began coming up with a different idea.

 _Wait, if I just visit the titans, I might have all the time in the world to think and discuss stuff with them, since I can't be doing anything more important when I'm sleeping anyways..._

The girl looked back up as she entered the building, spotting Hana peeking out from a corridor.

Said blonde waved to her. "Ms... I mean, Ignis! The room's right here!"

"Coming!" Ignis called back, and turned to Terra. "So, I'm in the middle of making a decision right now," she said.

Terra stared. "Are you going to do it regardless of what I say?"

"Yep."

She sighed. "Yeah, whatever then."

* * *

The two looked at each other, then back at Ignis, who sat perfectly still in a chair. Basil took a glance at its trainer, slightly worried but curious.

"...so," Hana began in an attempt of conversation, "wait five minutes and have him use Sleep Powder on us too... was it?" she said, repeating the instructions Ignis had given them.

Terra shrugged. "That's what she told us, yeah."

"What do you suppose that's all about?" Hana asked.

The brunette rubbed her chin. "Hmm... I dunno."

"Right..." Hana looked out the window. _This feels awkward._ The girl had already been somewhat aware of her friend's dislike of her, but didn't know whether it was a huge dislike or a small dislike out of the obvious jealousy aimed at her interaction with Ignis. While it hurt her feelings a bit, the blonde ultimately wasn't too bothered by it and was rather hopeful that they'd get along better eventually. "...how much longer?"

Terra checked her phone's timer. "...four minutes, twenty... nineteen seconds."

"Okay then." They reverted back to silence again, to Hana's displeasure. She tried to rack through her mind for conversation topics, before settling on something she deemed a bad choice. "So, um, Ms... Terra."

"Just Terra's fine," the brunette said.

"Right, right. So... um... Terra," Hana began. "I take it you... like... Ignis?"

"..." Terra briefly looked at the blonde, before sighing. "...yeah."

"I... see." Hana scratched her head. "...have you two, um... gotten together? ...yet?"

Terra blinked. Then she clutched her head, slightly irritated. "...okay, this is getting awkward, so, like... hear me out, let me get this out the system." Sighing, the girl looked up at the ceiling. "...Hana, sorry. I... don't like you," she said.

"O-oh."

"I'm just... I dunno. I don't like you that much, it feels like Ignis is drifting further away from me while she gets closer to you." She sighed again. "Yeah, I know. It's stupid. I'm just easily jealous, alright? But... but I don't really like you."

Hana looked down. "...right..."

"But you know what? I've decided to at least try to be a better person," Terra said. "So far, Ignis thinks well of you as well, and I'm fine with that, I guess. I know I said I don't like you, but... but I'll try to endure your stuff for a while." She held her hand up. "So, um... sorry, and hope we'll... get along eventually."

Hana stared at her hand, before chuckling. "Very well. I wish the same, for us to get along," she eventually said and shook her hand.

She offered a gentle smile, to which the brunette sighed and looked away from.

Then, the phone's alarm rang.

Terra blinked. "Oh, hey. Five minutes are up."

" _Saur!_ _"_ Basil chirped.

Hana lied down on the bed. "Um, alright then. I'm ready, Basil." _Not that I'm sure of what's going on at all._

Terra sat on the ground, back against the door, and waved at Basil. "Ready whenever you are, Ivy... uh, Basil."

The Ivysaur nodded and charged its Sleep Powder technique in its bulb.

Then, a burst of bright green enveloped the entire room.

* * *

"...ure... ...an you... ...it?"

" _...m trying... ...rying... not as easy... ...think._ "

Hana felt her conscious returning, but her vision was still pitch black. She attempted to let out a small groan, which went just fine- but the people who she assumed were around her stopped talking, probably noticing her.

"Oh, whoa. It really worked," a familiar voice exclaimed.

 _Ig...nis?_ The blonde still couldn't see anything, but just as she thought she was having a weird dream, the darkness slowly blurred into dark grey, then light grey, then eventually white. Slowly, she made out what seemed like giant... desks...? Surrounding her.

And in front of her...

"Hi, Hana," the ravenette greeted. "How're you feeling?"

"...I... huh...?"

The girl then noticed a presence next to her, and as she turned right, she saw lights gathering at an area below a forming body- specifically that of a certain brunette's.

"...T-Terra?"

Ignis blinked. "Oh, right. First time would obviously scare anyone."

 _"You think?"_ a loud, echoing voice boomed.

Hana jumped and looked around, then narrowed her eyes. She slowly realized that behind those giant desks surrounding her and the others, there were what seemed like giant white entities seated behind them, each with similar markings on their 'face' area. Her eyes widened as she paled. "W... what..."

"Huh? What's... going on?" Terra similarly wondered as she woke up from her state of unconsciousness. She looked around and slowly adopted a frightened expression akin to hers. "W-what the hell!?"

Ignis waved her hands around. "W-whoa, okay, both of you! Calm down!" she said. The two whipped their heads to Ignis, who broke into a chuckle. "Oh, man, this is priceless."

"I-Ignis!? What's going on here!?" Terra asked.

"And w-who are those giant... beings?" Hana asked.

Scratching her head, the ravenette looked at the titans. "Well, uh... what do you fellas say? Introduction time?"

 _"Well, can't say I didn't expect this,"_ **I** said. _"But I'm still quite amused."_

 **II** shook its head. _"Ms. Ignis, your friends need to get some more confidence so they wouldn't be easily scared by something like this."_

 _"In their defense, nobody would get into this sort of situation and remain calm,"_ **III** said.

 _"Okay, seriously, cut it out, fellas..."_ **IV** said. _"Can't you see we're keeping them waiting?"_

 **VI** shivered. _"Yeah, waiting isn't pleasant. You could starve, and that's... that's not good..."_

 **VII** raised a finger. _"Um, anyone going to praise me for bringing them here? ...anyone? ...okay."_

Sighing, **V** cleared its, uh, throat. _"Apologies to you too, Terra Oak, Hana Deborah. We weren't sure if we'd actually be able to summon you too, yet here you two are."_

Terra gulped. "R-right. But... but who are you? Or more importantly..." She paused and looked around the vast whiteness around them. "Where are we?"

Chuckling, Ignis looked at the titans. "Wow. Reminds me of when I first got here."

 **V** nodded. _"Yes. Well then, to answer your second question..."_

"Not the first?" Hana whispered, but it went ignored.

 _"Welcome to our domain. We have a discussion to get to."_


	30. The Rocket Dilemma

"Well, yeah, we've got things to discuss," Terra agreed with **V** , "but before that! Who the heck are all of you!?" she asked, her head looking around between each of the seven mysterious white titans.

"This is truly an intriguing situation," Hana noted. "Seven giant humans in a world of sleep... is this a dream? Is this a message from a being above our understanding?"

Ignis grabbed the two girls' by the shoulder, getting their attention. "Right, enough religious thinking," she said.

"Why aren't you freaking out about this!?" Terra asked. "Ignis, you're oddly... wait a minute!"

"Yeah?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "You _know_ these giants! That's why you're not surprised and why you put yourself to sleep first!"

"I mean... yeah," Ignis said. "Not going to deny that now."

 **VII** laughed. _"Not like you could deny anything at this point."_

 _"To be fair, she's the one who wanted to bring her friends here,"_ **IV** said.

Hana looked at Ignis. "So, uh... am I correct in assuming you have something to tell or show us?" she asked.

Ignis nodded. "Yep. I've been thinking about this for, uh... less than a day, really," she said and scratched her head, "but I figured it'd be great to get you girls' help too since, as _someone_ wanted me to realize, it's hard to do stuff alone." The last part was directed at Terra, who rolled her eyes.

"You _know_ this whole Team Rocket business is dangerous, you know it!" Terra said.

"Yeah, geez, I know, I'm giving you credit here," Ignis said.

"O-oh, uh, okay."

Both Ignis and **V** cleared their throats, then looked at the two newcomers to the white space. The ravenette looked up at the fifth titan. "Right, take the lead, big guy."

 **V** nodded and crossed its arms. _"First of all, we aren't exactly sure of what we are, but one could say we are linked to Ms. Ignis in a way."_

"W-what does that mean?" Terra asked. "Are you all, like... actually Pokémon, uh, owned by Ignis?"

 _"No, of course not,"_ **I** answered, before pausing and rubbing its chin. _"...or are we?"_ it asked, aimed at the girl in question.

"The hell would I know?" Ignis said.

Hana blinked. "So... you're not Pokémon, but apparently not people like us, and you're somehow related to Ms... uh, to Ignis?" she asked, to which the others nodded. "...m-maybe they're Ignis' sisters..."

"Nobody has sisters that big!" Terra said.

Ignis chuckled. "They don't even sound like people..."

 **V** cleared its throat again. _"Anyways. You see, there seems to be an old prophecy about an upcoming threat that the region of Kanto is facing,"_ it continued. _"We are to be of assistance to a rumored individual who will save Kanto from this danger, and Ms. Ignis just so happens to be connected to our realm, thus we believe she is that individual."_

Terra blinked. "...wait, that's it?"

 **II** scratched its head. _"Um. Pretty much. Are we missing any details?"_

 **III** rubbed its chin. _"Hmm... well, what about-"_

 _"No, Three,"_ **V** simply said.

 _"Oh."_

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Terra said, "but that sounds disappointingly simple. What do you mean, Ignis is some sort of chosen one?"

"They didn't actually specifically say that," Ignis said, "but hey, you do you."

The brunette ignored her friend and glared at the titans. "Maybe it could've been a simply coincidence! Maybe Ignis just... so happens to be able to connect to this place, that doesn't mean she's special or anything!"

 _No, that pretty much means it,_ the titans thought.

"No, that pretty much means it," Hana said.

"No it doesn't!" Terra said. "Look, I just... I'm not sure how to feel about this, okay? You can't expect me to just accept the fact that my childhood friend is actually supposed to save our region from some coming danger that's probably related to all this Team Rocket stuff!" she said. "I mean, what happened to us just helping my grandpa with his Pokédex stuff and,like, being normal Pokémon trainers!?"

 _"You can do that and also save the world,"_ **IV** said.

The brunette groaned and covered her face in defeat.

Ignis chuckled. "Well, I can kinda understand how you're feeling, Terra. I was kinda surprised at first, too." She petted the childhood friend, who huffed and pouted. "But I think that while I have the chance, I should do what I can. Otherwise, Team Rocket might hurt everyone, including you or Hana, eventually," she said.

"...Ignis," Terra muttered.

 _"Also maybe they'll destroy the world too,"_ **II** said.

 _...read the mood, damn it,_ Ignis thought. "Anyways, I figured I could use the time to discuss how things are going right now," she said. "Are you two fine with that?"

Hana scratched her head. "Well, uh... I'm... still a bit confused by everything, but I suppose it should be okay," she said.

Smiling, the ravenette crossed her arms. "Okay, so the basic gist of this is that Team Rocket is planning something that might bring danger to our region Kanto."

"And what a topic," Terra muttered and rolled her eyes. "Okay, so we know they're doing something dangerous. What do you think that could be?" she asked.

Ignis sat down on the white nothingness and huffed. "Well, obviously..." She stopped herself from speaking anymore for a while. _Should I tell them about Mewtwo? Or the Master Ball stuff?_ she wondered. Obviously that's what Team Rocket would still be after, no matter the odd changes in the world, but the problem would be _how_ Ignis would have supposedly gotten this information. As it'd definitely raise unneeded suspicion on herself, and she didn't want to reveal anymore about her own circumstances (notably the fact that she isn't the original Ignis of this world anyways), the girl mentally backtracked and settled on going the detective route instead. "...I dunno."

"...I thought you were going to say something that made lots of sense, somehow," Terra said, slightly let down.

"Hey, I'm not a detective, which is why I've brought you both here to help me," Ignis replied.

"Touché."

"Where do we start, though?" Hana asked.

 _Good question, my dear disciple,_ Ignis thought humorously before dismissing that random detective persona in her head. "Hm... when did we first encounter Team Rocket?"

 _"Oh, I know this one!"_ **IV** said. _"It's the Mt. Moon situation, with the fossils and blood-sucking Zubat and Golbat!"_

"Oh, that place..." Terra said, and shivered in discomfort. "God, that place makes me feel a bit light-headed..."

 _"Actually,"_ **VI** said, _"I, uh, think it's in Viridian Forest. You know... the Pikachu hunt thing."_

Ignis blinked. "Oh yeah, that. Yeah, I think that's the first encounter," she said.

"Is there any significance in that meeting with Team Rocket?" Hana asked.

"Hmm... maybe," the ravenette said. Eventually, after musing a bit longer over it, she nodded. "Okay, so they were looking to find and catch Pikachu for some reason. Supposedly Pikachu and its evolutionary lines have... limitless electricity, uh, energy?"

Terra shook her head. "No, not necessarily. They can store a surprising amount of electricity," she explained, "but it's not good for them to keep it all bottled up. The more the worse for them, and they have to let it out somewhere, eventually."

"Overcharging, huh..." Ignis scratched her head. "Right, duly noted. But that still tells us they needed Pikachu and their electricity for something... so it's probably safe to assume they're working on some sort of machine that requires a shit ton of power," she said. "But we kinda stopped them though, so it's unlikely they've got any progress on that."

"...not necessarily," Terra said once again. "I mean, now that we're not there... what's really stopping them from going back to the forest and catching more Pikachu?"

Ignis blinked. _Holy shit. Why didn't I think about..._ She paled. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me..."

"B-but we haven't let any Team Fake Rocket members get past us at all, have we?" Hana said. The others raised an eyebrow at her. "...l-like I said, the real Team Rocket is my father's company! Those villains are fakes!" she insisted.

"...right," Ignis muttered. "Anyways, well... we _did_ encounter them in Mt. Moon next, but they didn't get past us, so I guess you're right." She scratched her head. "...wait, it's not like getting through Mt. Moon and Pewter City is the only way to Viridian City. There's also-"

"If you mean the path from Cinnabar Islands south of Pallet Town, I doubt it," Terra informed. "With so little people in our hometown, anyone'd notice shady people like them, and they'd tell us about it whether by random gossip or out of concern," the brunette said. "Since grandpa hasn't told us anything about Team Rocket-"

"-Fake!" Hana said.

"...Team _Fake_ Rocket... members yet," the girl continued, "I'm sure they haven't went through Pallet Town to Viridian Forest."

Ignis nodded. "Thanks. Okay, so for now it's probably safe to assume they haven't gone back to catch more Pikachu," she said.

 **IV** rubbed its chin. _"So shall we assume they've abandoned their machinery plan requiring electricity?"_

Hana nodded. "I believe it should be okay to say that."

"...no, wait," Ignis said, the others' attention returning to her. "It's true that maybe they gave up on it, but... there's another option that wouldn't be so favorable," she said.

Terra blinked. "Why else would they stop pursuing Pikachu? They need the free electricity," she said. "If they already had enough Pokémon to produce electricity for them in the first place, they wouldn't have ever tried to get Pikachu in the first place."

"...that's not wrong," Ignis said. "But what if... while we were helping the Pikachu, they've managed to catch something more powerful than Pikachu?" she said.

The others exchanged glances. "I mean... maybe, but like... Pikachu can charge up to hundred thousand volt, even more," Terra said. "You really think there's something else out there that can top that?"

"...p-perhaps," Hana said, to the surprise of everyone. "I... I'm not sure about this, but I've heard before, legends of a powerful bird that controlled the thunders above..."

"Bird? Electricity?" Ignis raised an eyebrow. "That's stupid, there's no way-"

"Z-Zapdos?" Terra said.

The ravenette blinked. _Zap what? ...oh, wait._ "...the legendary bird?" she asked, to which her friend nodded. _Oh, man, those legendaries. Man, I've gotten so bored of them I almost forgot Zapdos and Moltres..._ The girl shook her head to regain her focus. "Oh, right, that bird of legends."

"T-they say that just by flying, its wings shed thunderbolts," Hana said. "...or, uh, at least, that's what I'm remembering. Ah, childhood stories..."

 _Who tells their kids about thunder god birds?_ Ignis briefly wondered. "Well, whether that's true or not is debatable, but... are you thinking Team Ro... Fake Rocket might have managed to capture a Zapdos?"

"I'm a bit skeptical, but..." Terra blinked. "Wait, 'a Zapdos'? There's more than one?"

"...I mean, I don't know," Ignis said. "I'm just assuming there could be more. I mean, it's just a bird," she said. _Though really, it's just because I know some legendary Pokémon aren't just one individual life, like Lugia or Deoxys._

"...mmn, reasonable enough." Terra looked back to Hana. "But personally, I don't think that's the case. Zapdos are supposed to fly around in storm clouds, and we haven't had terrible weather in Kanto for a long time now."

 **VI** raised a hand. _"Um. What about just rainy weather?"_

"It's not that bad," Terra said. "Zapdos are said to be attracted to electricity, so probably no."

 _"Oh..."_

 **III** sighed. _"Guess that's that."_

"...okay, let's put aside the electricity thing for now and move on," Ignis suggested. "Next encounter, Mt. Moon. Seems like they were after the fossils that that nerd guy had."

"...what was his name again?" Hana wondered.

Ignis blinked. "..uh..."

 **II** tilted its head. _"Something Michael, I believe."_

"Super Nerd Miguel," Terra corrected.

"Wow, you remembered," Ignis said. ""But okay, so Miguel found some fossils, and Team Rocket wanted them."

"Researching ancient fossils of the past... maybe the fake Team Rocket are actually evil archaeologists?"

"That's paleontology," Terra said. "And regarding that... well, I don't know. Doesn't it sound stupid to go evil over finding fossils?"

Ignis shook her head. "On Cinnabar Island, there's technology that reverts a fossil back to the original Pokémon it once was," she answered.

"R-really?" Terra asked. "I didn't know... man, you know all sorts of things."

"Heehee..."

 **V** nodded. _"To reverse death itself and bring back life that no longer exists... humans sure are amazing."_

"Oh, I Wouldn't say we're that amazing..." Hana muttered. "B-but anyways, so then we can assume they wanted to revive Pokémon fossils to get those Pokémon? For what, then?"

"...could just be to sell them for money," Ignis said. _Almost forgot, but Team Rocket is actually just a group of money making grubs,_ she recalled. "Selling prehistoric Pokémon would especially earn them a huge sum of money..."

"...money that could help fund their research and machinery more," Terra concluded.

 _Wait, that again?_ Ignis tilted her head. "I... I guess so. ...so we're back at the machines again..."

"B-but they didn't get the fossils though," Hana said. "We stopped them, and were given one, and that Miguel person took the other."

"True, but it's not like Mt. Moon could be the only place with fossils," Ignis reminded the blonde.

"O-oh, right."

 **VII** perked up. _"Wait, so let me get this straight. This Team Roc... Fake Rocket, supposedly has some sort of machine that requires electricity and-or money, and they want to catch powerful Electric-type Pokémon and sell ancient fossilized Pokémon?"_

"So far, so good," Ignis said. _But how does this link with Mewtwo? Or even the Master Ball?_ She scratched her head, confused. "And then the next encounter, at Cerulean City..."

"They were... trying to steal a TM disc, weren't they?" Terra asked.

"Is that so?" Hana said. "I was a bit late to the scene, so I didn't know, but... that sounds unrelated."

The brunette nodded. "True. What would stealing technique discs help with their machinery and money situation?"

 _...wait, I can link it with this!_ Ignis smiled. "What if... they're using technology to try and create an artificial Pokémon?" she asked. "And they simply want to test the limits of the Pokémon by teaching it different moves, to see what sticks and what doesn't?"

"...creating artificial Pokémon..." Hana muttered.

"Wait, but that's really nothing big," Terra said.

Ignis blinked. _What._

"I mean, artificial Pokémon already exists," the brunette continued. "Remember that news-breaking report from Cinnabar Lab? They created Porygon, meant to be able to work in cyberspace. Really mind-blowing back then, grandpa almost fainted from excitement."

 _Porygon... fuck you Porygon!_ Ignis cursed mentally. "O-oh, right. Guess it's not that, then."

"...Porygon. Is that the blocky duck-shaped Pokémon?" Hana asked.

Terra tilted her head. "I mean, it's not like I've seen the actual thing, but... I think so. From pictures."

Hana nodded. "I've read somewhere in my father's office that, um, as you said, it was meant to work digitally... but what if Team Faket is attempting to create a real life, artificial Pokémon that isn't digital?" she asked.

 _Team Faket?_ "...ohh..." Ignis feigned. _Thank you Hana! We can use this!_ "Yeah, then maybe they'd need the TM! Good lords, you're brilliant, Hana!"

"I, uh... t-thank you?"

 _"Hold on,"_ **IV** interrupted. _"Even then, why would they need to resort to crime? What sort of Pokémon could they be attempting to create, to behave vilely as they've been doing so?"_

Ignis shook her head. "Maybe they're not _resorting_ to crime, but instead were already criminals in the first place?" she said. "Then, we can narrow the goal down to this- create a powerful Pokémon to help them take over Kanto."

Her friends widened their eyes. "W-whoa, hold on- what?" Terra said. "You think Team Ro... Faket is planning to create a powerful, artificial Pokémon and use it to take over Kanto?"

"That's what I said, yes," Ignis replied.

"B-but how would that even be possible?" Hana asked. "To create artificial life... if something like that was possible, we'd be living in total chaos right now!"

"Maybe they haven't finished it yet," Ignis said. "But it's not impossible. Besides... the titans' prophecy said Kanto is in danger." She turned to the white titans. "If Kanto is in danger, and Team Rocket is part of the cause, then that's a possible conclusion to their plans, isn't it?"

"...god, I really don't like how this journey is turning out..." Terra muttered.

 **V** suddenly cleared its throat. _"Magnificent. Ms. Ignis, you are terrifyingly wonderful,"_ it said. _"For now, we shall assume what you said is correct. If Team Rocket really is planning to take over Kanto by creating a Pokémon to control, we may be in big trouble. But with their plans figured and the prophecy predicted, now we have the upper hand."_ It looked down at the human girls. _"You really amaze us, Ms. Ignis. We thank you."_

"Uh... no problemo..." Ignis said. _Awkward._ "But even then, unless we get stronger, we'd just be ants to them."

"...I see," Hana said. "So in the end... it's training, isn't it!?" she suddenly said.

"H-Hana?" Terra asked.

"It's training that we need!" the blonde said, all fired up. "And that's why we need to train more and become stronger, to be able to stop those nefarious crooks! Isn't that right, Ignis, Terra!?"

 _Someone's excited,_ Ignis thought with a chuckle. "I suppose so. What say we end this meeting here?" she asked. "I think we've done enough concluding for the day, and I want to get to challenging the Gym Leader of this city."

"You're still going to do your normal journey...?" Terra muttered.

"It's also training," the ravenette answered.

"She isn't wrong!" Hana said. "I shall also train! With the trainers in the gym!"

 _Oh, man, excited Hana is cute,_ Ignis thought. "Welp. Guess that's it for today." She turned to the titans. "Thanks again, all of you, for this meeting."

 _"Eh, we didn't really help much,"_ **IV** grimaced.

"Well, either ways, even a little helps!" Smiling, Ignis snapped her fingers, and her body began fading. The others looked at her, worried. "Ah, don't worry, I can control when I wake up. You guys should do the same?"

Terra and Hana exchanged glances. "...uh..."

"Right, first time. Don't worry, I'll wake you two up right after this," Ignis reassured.

The two nodded. "T-thanks, Ignis."

"No problem."

Not long after Ignis disappeared from the realm, the two vanished as well.


End file.
